A Deal Between Enemies
by NJ Coffee Queen
Summary: A deal is struck between two former enemies that will forever change them both.
1. Chapter 1

It's new. I own nothing. That should cover it. Oh, and enjoy!

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Chapter 1  
She never should have asked a recently single Ginny Weasley to be her roommate. Ginny often brought her latest date back to the flat in hopes he would be seen and the news would get back to Harry Potter. It never did, but it never stopped Ginny from trying. It was the young redhead's fault that Hermione Granger was seated on a barstool in The Leaky Cauldron on a warm June night. The pub was quiet and sparsely populated.

Draco Malfoy's entrance changed everything.

Already drunk, he sat down at the far end of the bar and loudly called for a drink. Tom, the bartender, quickly obliged just to quiet his shouting. It went on for half an hour before Hermione's patience ran out and she decided to leave. The stool she occupied scraped across the floor, catching Malfoy's attention. Almost falling off of his stool, he stumbled to her and draped his arm over her shoulders.

"Granger," he slurred, eyes heavily lidded, "always so nice to see you. Take me home?"

"Not likely, Malfoy," she muttered as she tried to push him away.

But Draco clung tighter. "Please?" he begged. "You wouldn't really let me app...pap...papapperate home, would you?"

Firewhiskey laced his breath, causing a foul smell to hit her nose each time he spoke. "Get some coffee, sober up, then go home on your own," she advised, failing once more to get away from him.

Sighing, he leaned his head against hers. "Don't want to go home," he mumbled. "Bad people there. Bad things happen."

Hermione steered him to the nearest table and helped him sit down. "Malfoy, the war ended four years ago. The bad people are gone," she told him. Holding up a hand, she signalled to Tom to bring coffee.

"Not them," he replied, resting his head on the table. "Grass isn't always greener."

"I don't even know what that's supposed to mean," she said tiredly. After half an hour of taking slow sips of his coffee, Draco finally finished. "Ready to go?"

Yawning, he nodded and got to his feet. Hermione rose and he once more placed his arm around her shoulders. Rolling her eyes, she led him out of the pub. A flashbulb blinded her, and when she regained her sight, she saw a photographer run away. "Looks like we had an audience," she muttered.

"Eyes feel shiny," he murmured.

"Come on, I'm not far from here," she replied, half dragging him back to her flat. "Do you think you can floo home by yourself?"

Draco shook his head. "Don't wanna go home," he insisted, opening his eyes to stare at her.

His gray eyes pleaded with her, begging her not to make him return to Malfoy Manor. She knew the horrors that took place at his family's estate before and during the war. While she had been there a matter of hours, Draco had spent years living through such hell. With a nod of her head, she continued to her flat and let him in.

"Ginny?" she called out, hoping against hope that her roommate had gone out while she was away. When she received no response, Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and placed Draco on the sofa. "I'll get you some water and aspirin. Close your eyes for a bit."

He did as he was told, and when he reopened his eyes, Hermione was seated on the coffee table in front of him with the medication she promised. "Thanks," he mumbled, shakily sitting up. He took the proffered pills, wincing as he swallowed them with a swig of water. "It's safe to floo drunk, right?"

Hermione shrugged. "Well, I've never tried it. I guess so long as you're able to say your destination clearly, you should be okay."

His head fell back against the cushions. "I don't think I can do that," he replied.

"Well, I guess you could sleep on the couch," she decided. "The bathroom is at the back of the hallway. My door is on the right, Ginny's is on the left. Don't go in there. That's for your own safety, not hers. Do you need anything?"

"More water?" he requested, holding out the glass. She accepted it and left the room to refill it. When she returned, she set it down on the end table next to him. "Hey, Granger? Why are doing this?"

Halted on her way to her bedroom, Hermione turned and frowned. "I don't know," she replied. "Why did you ask me to help you back at the Leaky?"

Closing his eyes, Draco shrugged. "Because I know you're a good person and that you'd help me," he mumbled.

"I think you just answered your own question. Good night."

She couldn't have been asleep long when she felt her bed shake. Bolting upright, Hermione fumbled for the switch to turn on the lamp by her bed. Ginny knelt at the foot of the bed, eyeing the sleepy brunette. "What?" she asked.

"Two things," she stated, throwing down a copy of The Daily Prophet within Hermione's reach. It must have been later than she thought. "Number one - Draco Malfoy is in our living room. Why? And number two - is something going on between the two of you? Something you haven't told me about? Something about an affair? You know he's engaged, right?"

Hermione rubbed her eyes and unfolded the paper to reveal a fuzzy image of the pair leaving The Leaky Cauldron the night before. "Do good girls really prefer bad boys?" she read. "Months' long secret relationship? You know this is rubbish. We ran into each other last night for the first time in four years. Tell me you don't honestly believe this."

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know what to believe," she replied, frowning. "All I know is he's in the other room and there are photos of the two of you stumbling drunkenly from a pub."

"Right, he's on the couch. If we were having an affair, what's he doing out there?" Hermione questioned. "And he was the only one who was drunk last night."

"Then why bring him here?" Ginny wondered exasperatedly. "Why would you let him into our flat? He's Draco Malfoy, one of the most infamous Death Eaters."

Rolling her eyes, Hermione got out of bed. "He's not a Death Eater anymore," she stated. Grabbing her robe, she slipped it on as she exited her bedroom. The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, and she found Draco in the kitchen. "Sleep okay?" she asked him, accepting the mug of coffee he offered.

"Don't drink it," Ginny whispered, louder than necessary.

Hermione shot her a look and took a hearty sip. "So, I guess introductions aren't necessary," she said lightly. "Did you see the paper?"

Draco's nod answered both of her questions. "Yeah, I'm sure I'll hear all about it when I get home," he replied. "I should probably get going. Thanks for taking care of me last night."

Hermione gave him a close lipped smile and nodded. "Good luck."


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you so much for the positive response to the first chapter! I'll be on vacation next week, spending time at my oh so lovely apartment with my two cats. Because that doesn't sound pathetic at all. I'll be posting and writing though...and shopping and sleeping in.

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Chapter 2  
Draco sneaked into his bedroom, glad that his parents didn't occupy the main sitting room. But he wasn't alone when he entered the room. Astoria Greengrass sat daintily on the edge of his bed with the newspaper in hand. Sighing, he slipped off his shoes and opened his mouth to apologize. But she beat him to it.

"I wouldn't have figured Hermione Granger as the type to bed engaged men," she stated. "Although, I also never assumed you'd be the type to remain faithful to a woman you don't love."

Draco slumped down into the nearest chair and ran a hand through his hair. "I was too drunk to get home last night, and I guess I kind of harangued Granger into letting me sleep at her flat. I stayed on the sofa the whole night. Except when I ran to the loo to throw up. That happened many times. And I _don't_ cheat."

Astoria shrugged and tossed her long, dark hair over her shoulder. "Look, I don't want to get married any more than you do," she stated, getting to her feet. "If there's no way out of this, no loophole, then I think the least we could do is be honest with each other."

"I am being honest," he replied, staring at her.

Once more she replied with a noncommittal shrug. "So, you and Granger aren't..."

"No," he said impatiently.

Astoria slowly sat down once again. "I kind of wish you had," she admitted, lowering her gaze to her lap so he wouldn't see the blush that rose in her cheeks.

Draco's head snapped up and he winced in hangover pain. "What?"

"Think about it," she said, leaning forward. Her blue eyes were animated as the wheels in her head turned with an idea. "You cheat on me, I cheat on you. Our parents couldn't force us to marry if they see that we won't be faithful."

"They won't care about that," he replied.

"They will if your parents think they won't get the full social benefits of you marrying me. Just think how bad it would look if we were married and conducting extramarital affairs."

Perhaps it was the haze of the booze from the night before, but her plan didn't sound terrible. The groundwork had inadvertently been laid the night before. Now he would just need to convince Granger to go along with the plan. "So...do you have someone in mind for yourself?" he wondered.

"Theodore Nott," she mumbled, once more hiding her blush.

Draco smirked, trying to hold back a laugh. He and Nott had been friends since childhood, and he often complained about the younger Greengrass sister who had a crush on him. It was merely a front to conceal his own feelings for Astoria, feelings he wasn't sure he should have for her.

"Okay, I think this can be done," he decided. "And once I'm completely sober, I'll get right to work on it. Now, out so I can sleep off my hangover."

The barrage of angry questions came soon after Draco left. Hermione groaned when Harry Potter and Ron Weasley stepped into her flat, neither happy to be there. The newspaper was balled up in Ron's hand, his knuckles white from clutching it so hard. The telltale signs of his anger appeared as his face reddened from his hairline to where his shirt met his neck.

"Well?" Harry asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well what?" Hermione inquired, deciding to employ the innocent act.

"Is this true?" Ron asked, angrily throwing the paper at her.

Hermione caught it, shocked by his outburst. It was the same edition that Ginny had presented her with earlier that morning. After a quick survey, she left the living room and tossed it in the kitchen trash can. "No," she said simply.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and flopped onto the sofa. "Well, that's a relief," he replied. "Got anything to eat?"

With a chuckle, she directed him to the recently restocked kitchen. Ron held his ground, the color darkening on his face rather than receding. "Is this why we broke up?" he asked. "So you could screw Malfoy?"

"Yes, Ron," she replied as seriously as she could to such a ridiculous statement. "But I waited four years so your feelings wouldn't be hurt."

"I'm being serious, Hermione."

"I know, Ron," she stated. "You're also being delusional. There never has been nor will there ever be anything between Malfoy and me. You and I are friends, Ron. Trust is a big part of friendship."

Ron shook his head as Harry returned with a bowl of cereal. "I don't trust him," he said.

"Then it's a good thing the two of you aren't friends," Hermione retorted, which caused Harry to choke on a mouthful of frosted flakes. She mumbled an apology before turning back to the irate redhead. "Look, I don't trust Malfoy either. But last night, he...I don't know. He needed someone to help him."

"And that person had to be you?" Ron inquired. "He's not some house elf, Hermione."

Ginny entered wearing a long t-shirt and little else, and took a seat beside Harry. "I say shag him once and then forget about him," she advised.

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned her attention to her roommate. "And how does that help quell these rumors started once again by Rita Skeeter?" she asked.

The younger witch shrugged and toyed with the hem of her shirt. "Well, it doesn't so much help the rumors as it helps to end your sexual drought," she replied.

Once more Harry choked on his food before setting aside the bowl. "Okay," he stated, putting his foot down. "No more discussions about Hermione's sex life or lack thereof. No more accusing her of having a secret affair with Malfoy. If something were going on between them and Hermione wanted us to know, she would have told us. Ron, back off. Ginny, put on some pants. I'm going to finish my lunch in peace."

"And what should I do, Harry?" Hermione asked, glancing at her friend affectionately.

Harry smiled and glanced toward the front window. "You should probably see what that owl wants."


	3. Chapter 3

Why does it feel like vacation weeks fly by so much quicker than work weeks? I could be very, very happy staying at home all the time.

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Chapter 3  
Three letters had been sent back unopened. Draco placed the third in a locked drawer beside the other two. It wouldn't do to have his parents find letters addressed to Hermione Granger pleading with her to meet him in muggle London. If the plan was to work, they had to believe something had already begun between the pair. Now he just needed to convince Granger to go along with it.

If she wouldn't read his letters, he decided, then he would have to go to her. Her flat was just blocks away from the Leaky Cauldron, and he was sure he could find his way there. With his mind made up, he flooed to the pub and exited into the busy shopping area. News spread fast in the wizarding world, and Draco had to avert his gaze to ignore the disapproving looks he received from passersby. It was a relief when he finally spotted her place.

Despite the drunken haze he'd been in the last time he had been to her flat, he recalled having to climb two sets of stairs to the apartment above the still closed storefront below. There was one door on the second landing, and he was sure it was hers. He knocked tentatively and waited for her to answer the door.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked, brows furrowed, when she opened the door.

Draco smiled softly. "I wanted to apologize," he replied sheepishly. She continued to stare at him, her expression perplexed. "For that night and the picture and all the rumors."

"You didn't start those, Malfoy. There's nothing for you to apologize for," she stated, attempting to close the door.

He shot his hand out to stop it and added his foot for extra measure. "But I haven't done anything to stop them either," he admitted."To be honest, I rather enjoyed the way the news made my parents squirm."

"And your fiancee?" Hermione wondered.

"That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about," he replied. "May I come in?"

She glanced hesitantly behind him to ensure they would be alone before beckoning him in. Once they were situated, Draco on the sofa and Hermione in the armchair opposite it, she asked, "What did you want to discuss?"

Leaning forward, Draco rested his elbows on his thighs and held her gaze with his own. "You know it's an arranged marriage, right?" he asked. "We don't love each other and we don't want to get married. See, she's interested in someone else and the world already thinks I'm with you. I thought maybe we could...ya know...pretend."

"Pretend what?" she inquired, sure she knew where he was going and not liking it one bit.

"Pretend that we're together," he clarified.

"You want me to be your mistress?"

Draco nodded. "Yeah, I do. Well, sort of. First of all, you're smart enough to realize that us being seen together would do wonders for our world."

"Don't you mean your reputation?" she cut in.

Frowning, he replied, "No, I don't care about that. If I did, I would actually go through with this whole sham of a marriage. My parents, as much as I love them, don't seem to understand the concept of allowing me to make my own decisions. Being with you, even if it's just pretend, I guess it's my way of showing them that I want control of my life."

Hermione sat back in her chair and shut her eyes. "You realize that is a terrible plan," she said. "Even if you did actually cheat on her, there's no guarantee that either of your families would tear up the contract I assume they have."

His frown transformed into a smile. "But if she cheats too..."

"Then you have a better chance of getting out of it."

Draco nodded in confirmation. "Now, I'm willing to provide financial incentive," he continued. "I know you were given a hefty sum after the war, what with saving our world and all, but some extra galleons might be nice to have around anyway."

Scowling, Hermione glared at him. "I don't need your money, Malfoy, and I especially don't want it the way you're proposing," she spat at him. "I'm not some whore you can throw your money at for some facade of affection."

"I didn't say you were!" he interrupted. "I just thought that you deserved to get something out of this too."

Hermione sat back in her chair and stared down at her linked fingers. "Why me?" she wondered.

"Because of the-" he started, but was quickly cut off.

"No, I mean that night. You spent seven years absolutely hating me, and now you're asking me to pretend to be your mistress," she said. "What changed?"

Draco shrugged. "Me, I guess," he replied. "Blood status stopped mattering to me long before the final battle began. I watched you bleed, Granger, and your blood looked exactly like mine. That night at the Leaky when I saw you - all I could think was 'Hermione Granger will help me.' I don't know why I thought that given every horrible thing I've said and done to you."

"Maybe because you were drunk," Hermione supplied with a wry smile.

Ignoring the humor in her tone, Draco shook his head. "I don't think that was it," he murmured.

"The morning that picture was published, I spent an hour trying to convince Ron and Harry and Ginny that nothing was going on between us," she told him. "And now they're going to think I lied to them."

Stunned, Draco's head snapped up. "Wait, you'd do this for me? You'll help me get out of this engagement?" he asked.

"If I can," she replied, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. "There's just...well, you said you'd pay me. I have another idea. The shop downstairs has been empty since the war, and with Flourish and Blotts moving to Hogsmeade, I want to open up a bookshop. Would you invest?"

"Yeah, I will," he agreed, smiling at her. "Thank you, Granger."

Hermione got to her feet when Draco did. "I think first names might be a good idea," she advised.

"Right," he muttered to himself. "So, um, I'll owl soon to make plans. I'd like to get a look at the storefront downstairs too, when you have time."

Hermione smiled and walked him to the door. "I'll talk to you soon," she promised. Shutting the door behind him, Hermione leaned her forehead against it and closed her eyes. One thought raced though her mind - what did I just do?


	4. Chapter 4

There aren't many things I like about working, but I do enjoy a free, long lunch. Of course, now I want a nap.

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Chapter 4  
Hermione waited in the shop below her flat. Draco was already an hour late, and her patience was waning. She had a small window to meet with him before Ginny returned from her parents' house. After all her denials that there was nothing going on with Draco, it wouldn't do to be caught alone with him once again. And when he finally walked through the door, she made sure to point that out.

"Sorry, my mother," he muttered with a roll of his eyes. "So, this is the space. Seems small."

"It used to be the apothecary shop, but after the owner was killed during those Death Eater attacks the summer before the war, his family moved to a new location," she explained. "I figured some expansion charms would do the trick if I need more space."

Draco nodded in agreement and surveyed the shop. He'd been there before in its previous incarnation, but with the space now devoid of healing potions and herbs, he could picture it as Hermione could. There was plenty of shelf space. Tall mahogany cases stretched from floor to ceiling and lined each wall around the shop. At the center was a checkout stand with an ancient looking, brass colored register. The floor space was big enough for a few merchandise tables and a sofa or two for in-shop reading.

"I think it's perfect," he finally decided. "Needs a bit more lighting, but I think it's a great space."

Hermione beamed with pride, elated that someone else understood her vision and supported her. She'd been prepared to present lists and profit projections, deals she'd struck with suppliers, and sketches for the shop's design. And while she was sure Draco would eventually need to see that information, he seemed more content to leave it up to her.

"So, I say we celebrate tonight," he said casually, tracing the letter _D_ into the dust on one of the empty shelves.

"Would it be a date?" she asked, hopping up onto the checkout counter.

He turned to her and smiled. "Why not?" he wondered. "If we want the wizarding world to believe we're having an illicit affair, we should be seen together in public."

Hermione nodded uneasily. "Okay, around seven?" she asked.

Draco nodded in confirmation. "I'll pick you up here," he added. "And wear something fancy. Oh, and how do you feel about French food?"

"Positive," she replied, dismounting the counter. "I'll see you soon."

********  
Butterflies swarmed her stomach as she attempted to dress for the evening. Ginny had been little help, caring more about who she'd be out with than about what she would wear. After shutting and locking her bedroom door with Ginny on the other side of it, she settled on a knee-length, midnight blue dress with a halter tie neck. She added simple, silver jewelry and matching heels, and slipped out of her room. Draco planned to meet her in the shop, and Hermione placed wards up along the way to prevent snooping.

"You're beautiful," he said in awe when she appeared. Her rouged cheeks enhanced the blush she now wore as a result of the rare compliment. He fingered a loose curl before offering her his elbow. "Can you Apparate in those heels? I'd hate for you to break your ankle on landing."

"Where are we going that will require Apparation?" she asked, knowing nothing of his plans for the evening.

He led her to the front door and opened it, allowing her to pass through first. "Well, I figured a quick stroll to the nearest Apparation point was necessary. Let the photographers get their fill early so we can enjoy a peaceful evening," he replied. "What comes after Phase One is a surprise."

"A fancy surprise?" she pressed, tracing the fingers of her free hand up and down his jacket clad arm.

A chill passed through him when she touched a certain, hidden spot and he stilled her hand. "I'm not giving you any details," he replied. They strolled through the Alley arm in arm, awaiting the first camera to capture their image. "So, what did you tell your friends you were doing tonight?"

Hermione stopped short, her arm slipped from Draco's hold. He turned to face her with furrowed brows. "I didn't," she replied. "I didn't even think up a reason for going out tonight. I mean, Ginny knows I'm going out, but that's it. And after I told them all that there was nothing going on between us-"

Draco placed his hands on her upper arms. "Hey," he cut her off. "It'll be fine. If there's one thing I know how to do it's lie. You can tell them that you wanted to keep it a secret because of my situation."

Nodding thoughtfully, she slipped her arm back through his. "That could work," she decided. "So, you said your fiancee is pretending to date someone else too, right?"

"Honestly, I don't think she's pretending," Draco replied as they neared the Apparation point. "Astoria's had a crush on Theo since boys stopped being icky. If she could run away and elope with him tomorrow, she'd do it."

"Why doesn't she?" Hermione wondered.

Draco moved his arms to her waist and held her close. "Because of me," he answered before Apparating them away.

When they landed and Hermione opened her eyes, her jaw dropped. "That's the...the Eiffel Tower," she said, staring at the bright lights in shock. "Draco, we're in France. You know that, right?"

He chuckled and loosened his hold on her. Yeah, believe it or not, I did," he replied. "We're celebrating though, so I thought we should do it right. Besides, I didn't want to be followed for this."

Hermione blushed to the roots of her hair. "Thank you for this, Draco," she said. "All of it."

Smiling, he slipped his hand into hers and led her towards the tower. "It's my pleasure," he told her. "Besides, no one deserves this more than you. I don't know that I really thought about how this arrangement might affect you."

"Worried about my reputation?" she asked. Glancing up, she caught the slight nod of his head. "Don't be. I'm not."


	5. Chapter 5

Am I the only one counting down to the Hunger Games DVD release? Because it's happening in two days! I plan to buy it early on Saturday and spend my weekend watching it. There's a good chance it's never leaving my DVD player. It'll be like the days when I came home from school and watched Beauty and the Beast on VHS everyday for all of third grade. At least now I won't have to listen to my brothers complain that I'm hogging the TV.

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Chapter 5  
Ginny waited impatiently outside of Hermione's bedroom door. No sound came from inside and the morning was getting later and later. Eyeing the newspaper in her hand, Ginny decided she could stand there no longer, and knocked loudly on the door before letting herself in. The room was dark, but the younger witch could make out the shape of her friend beneath the heavy blankets.

"Out," Hermione groaned when she heard the floor squeak.

"No, up," Ginny shot back, tearing away the blankets. "You've got some explaining to do. I promise you the boys won't be as kind as they were the other day."

Hermione sat up, turning on the light, and glared at her roommate. "What definition of 'kindness' are you using?" she wondered. "Sure, Harry seemed fine, but Ron was far from kind."

"Yeah, well, it's only gonna get worse," the redhead warned, tossing the newspaper onto the bed. "I thought you said there was nothing going on between you and Malfoy."

She didn't need to look at the latest photo, knowing exactly which one it would be. They had only given photographers one chance to capture their romantic rendezvous before Apparating to the secret destination Draco had selected. They'd dined at the Eiffel Tower, then strolled through Paris until her feet hurt too much to continue walking. It had been one of the better nights of her life since things had ended with Ron a year after the war, and it was more than surprising that it was with Draco Malfoy.

"This does not leave the room," she stated. When Ginny agreed, she told her everything from her initial encounter at with Draco The Leaky Cauldron to the deal they made to help him break his betrothal contract to the evening they'd spent together the night before. "And she's doing it too," Hermione added.

"Then why haven't we seen her picture in the paper?" Ginny inquired.

Hermione leaned back against her pillows and frowned. "That's...a good question," she replied.

"Are you gonna ask him about it?" the younger witch pressed.

Shrugging, Hermione got out of bed and began to make it. "I'm not sure it's really any of my business," she stated.

Taking hold of her roommate's arm, Ginny pulled Hermione away from the blankets and turned her to face her. "_None_ of your business? Malfoy's using you to get out of his engagement, and you think what Greengrass does or doesn't do is _none_ of your business?" she demanded. "Hermione, it's absolutely your business. He could be jerking you around, showing off the fact that he landed the Golden Girl. What if she's not in on this? What if she's sitting at home, crying her eyes out over pints of ice cream, because the man she's supposed to marry is screwing around on her?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "If I promise to ask him about it, will you let go of me so I can finish making my bed?" she asked, shaking off Ginny's hold. Nodding once, she took a step back to allow her friend to continue her chore. When she finished, she exited her room with Ginny on her heels. Stopping in the kitchen, pot of coffee in hand, she turned to find her roommate still behind her with her arms folded over her chest. "What? Now?"

"Yes, now," Ginny replied with an exasperated sigh.

The fireplace roared to life with green flame before Hermione had the opportunity to place her call to Draco. The blond in question stepped out with a smile on his face. "See the paper?" he asked. When he spotted Ginny, though, his smile fell.

"She knows," Hermione muttered.

"And _she_ has a question for you," Ginny prompted, glaring at the Malfoy heir.

Draco's attention turned back to Hermione as she asked, "Why hasn't Astoria been photographed the way we have?"

"Honestly, I don't know," he answered. "She and Theo have been out together more often, and they're much more conspicuous than us. At least that's what Theo said. I'd hate to think it's because we're the more scandalous pair."

"You, no. Hermione, yes," Ginny muttered. Two sets of eyes turned to her, awaiting an explanation. "Think about it - muggle born, best friend of Harry Potter, enemy of Draco Malfoy. Of course the two of you are a bigger shock. I'm sure the Notts and Greengrasses have been old family friends for generations."

Hermione moved to the sofa and sat down. "So we lay low," she suggested. "If they don't see us, maybe that'll divert their attention to Theo and Astoria."

"Could work," Draco agreed, taking a seat beside her. "Of course, that also means not having to see each other since the whole point of this is to be seen in public together."

Ginny took a seat across from them. "And that would be a bad thing?" she inquired, one eyebrow quirking wryly.

Hermione noticed the color that began to creep up Draco's neck. Standing up, she took hold of his arm. He rose and allowed her to lead him from the apartment to the shop below. "Sorry about her," she murmured, letting go of his arm. "You don't really have to answer her question."

Shrugging, he moved further into the shop and took a seat on a low set of shelves by a dirty window. "I had a really good time with you last night," he told her. "And I know I spent a lot of years insulting you and trying to hurt you, and I want to apologize for it. There's no reason you should accept it, but-"

"Draco, stop," she cut in with a small laugh. "Do you really think I would have agreed to help you if I wasn't able to forgive you? It's not like I didn't spend seven years disliking you as well. There were some unfortunate ferret jokes that I feel really bad about now."

"Not very funny?" he asked, chuckling.

Hermione smiled. "Oh, they were plenty funny," she retorted. "Despite my bookish reputation, I do have a sense of humor."

"I personally find you to be quite witty," he assured her. "Especially when you knock espresso on your lap. The cursing was magnificent."

"Okay, go home, Draco," she said with an air of mock exasperation.

He hopped off of the shelf he'd been sitting on and crossed the shop to stand before her. "Do the other two know yet?" he asked, seriousness replacing the playful banter of only seconds' earlier.

Hermione shook her head. "No, but I'm expecting them to show up any minute now."


	6. Chapter 6

I've been in work for less than an hour and I'm already ready to go home. I have a meeting at 2, I've done 3 price requests with one more to do, authorized a schedule, and I still have more to do. Is it Friday yet?

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Chapter 6  
It was late at night when Draco returned to Hermione's flat. He had hoped that by showing up just a little after midnight he could avoid seeing her roommate or the other two-thirds of the Golden Trio. With the lights out, he was sure he had accomplished his goal. Making his way down the hall, he remembered what she had said about her door being on the right. Breathy moans emanated from the door on the left, and he was grateful that that wasn't Hermione's room.

He knocked softly on the door on the right before letting himself in. "How can you sleep through that?" he wondered as Ginny's volume grew louder and louder.

"I can't," Hermione replied. Sitting up, she turned on the lamp and squinted against the sudden onslaught of light. "What's going on? Everything okay?"

"That's what I came over to ask you," he said, moving minutely closer to the bed. "Potter and Weasley stop by after I left this morning?"

Hermione nodded in confirmation and invited him to sit down. When he was situated at the foot of the bed, she explained her afternoon. "I didn't tell them the truth about us," she started, fidgeting with the hem of her blanket. "Umm, Ron yelled. A lot. Told me I couldn't trust you and that you'd hurt me. Then he spent about fifteen minutes telling me that no one will ever want me again once this is over between you and me."

"And Potter?" Draco asked, clutching the comforter in his fist.

A smile briefly touched her lips. "Harry told Ron to shut up, pushed him into the floo, and sent him back to his mother's house," she continued. "And because he doesn't know the truth, he told me that he's glad that I've found someone I care about and who cares about me. He said it didn't even matter to him that it's you because I'm happy."

"Are you?" he wondered. "Happy, I mean."

Shrugging, she looked down at her hands as she drew up her knees. "Why wouldn't I be?" she replied. "I have my friends and my parents have finally started to trust me again and I've been making plans for the shop downstairs. So yeah...I'm happy."

"You're a terrible liar," Draco responded. "Or really bad at convincing yourself of certain things."

Sighing, she placed her head against the backboard and closed her eyes briefly. "Why do you think you could never love Astoria?" she asked.

Draco shrugged and relaxed his hold on the blanket. "I don't know. Maybe because she wasn't my choice," he replied. Yawning, he shifted until he could lie across the foot of her bed. "I just...I figured if you're gonna marry someone, it should be someone you love. I don't want to marry someone I tolerate now and may grow to care about someday."

"You don't care about her now?"

He turned his head to face her. "I don't care about her the way a husband should," he clarified. "Besides, it's a mutual feeling. She won't love me if it's Theo she really wants. And I don't want to be the person who keeps them apart."

They sat in silence, each pondering his sentiments. In the days since the truce had been called and their rouse began, Hermione had started to see a different side of Draco Malfoy. It was one she would have never believed existed. He had been kind. The insults were a thing of the past. He'd seemed genuinely interested in the goings on in her life.

"Why did you and Weasley break up?" she heard him ask.

Blinking, she stared at him without knowing what to say. "Sometimes it just doesn't work," was her vague reply. Cocking his head in such a way as to tell her he didn't believe that was all there was to it, Draco waved his hand in a silent plea to provide a better explanation. "We were young. We'd just finished fighting a war. Everything we'd known together was Hogwarts and Voldemort and helping Harry. It was just...hard to be normal with Ron. That common ground was gone with nothing to fight for anymore."

"Did you love him?"

She shook her head. "Not enough to fight for him."

Turning his head to stare at the ceiling, he murmured, "I understand."

Hermione rolled onto her side and looked down at him with a smile. There was something comforting about having someone understand. For months following the break up, scores of people urged her to reunite with her one true love. It hadn't just been friends and family either. The split had been front page news, and strangers she passed on the street were more upset by it than she was.

But Draco understood. After all, wasn't he in a similar position? It wasn't fair to either party if one stayed in a relationship that wasn't founded on love. And Hermione didn't love Ron, at least not the way he deserved. She wanted love. She wanted to be with someone who loved her as much as she loved him. Unfortunately, she was sure Ron hadn't loved her enough either. They were expected to be together, just like Harry and Ginny were. Unlike her, Ron was willing to stay in the relationship.

"He cared more about his friendship with Harry and Quidditch and the new brooms he could afford after the war than he did about being with me," she murmured sleepily. Her head rested on the pillow and her eyes closed.

Sitting up, Draco turned to face her once more and noticed that she was beginning to drift off to sleep. As gently as he could, he rose from the bed, hesitant to disturb her. He rounded the bed and turned off the lamp. The room was cast once more into darkness, and he waited for his eyes to adjust before leaving. He turned away slowly after covering her with her blankets and took a tentative step forward.

"Draco?"

Her voice was soft and sleepy, but he knew he heard his name. "Yeah?" he asked, turning back to the bed.

Hermione hadn't moved; her back still to him. "Do you think we'll ever be friends?" she wondered. "I like talking to you."

"Yeah, Hermione. I think we will be," he replied with a smile before he left for the night.


	7. Chapter 7

I have an iphone now, and I'm so beyond excited about it! Usually, when I get an inanimate object that I love, I have to name it. So, I'll spend the rest of my day thinking up names.

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Chapter 7  
Lucius slammed the newspaper down on the table when Draco arrived for breakfast. "Are you trying to destroy this family?" he inquired, loudly and angrily. "New photos everyday of you and that little mudblood running around."

Draco's brows furrowed, wondering to what new pictures his father was referring. Reaching the table, he sat down and took the newspaper from the older man. The moving photograph on the front page showed Hermione and him walking arm-in-arm along the River Seine, her free hand slapping his shoulder as she laughed. He remembered the joke he'd told about Seamus Finnegan's infamous ability to blow things up, which had earned him the slap.

"I had no idea this was even taken," he said honestly. "We weren't supposed to be followed to Paris. Now Hermione's going to think I lied to her."

"_Hermione_? Try _Astoria_," Lucius retorted. "She is your fiancee."

"A fiancee who doesn't want to be married to me either," Draco interrupted with a shout, slamming his fist against the paper. "You care more about how you're perceived than you do about me. Besides, if anyone's destroyed this family, it's you. And it was a long time before Hermione came into the picture."

Finished with his rant, he rose from the table and left the dining room. Just as he slammed the double, sliding doors shut, his mother stopped him from leaving. "I saw the paper," she said softly.

"So, what? You're here to tell me I'm ruining the family name?" he inquired testily. "If so, I don't want to hear it."

Narcissa Malfoy shook her head and smoothed back her long, blonde hair. "The opposite really," she murmured, taking hold of his arm. With a bit of prodding, she managed to pull him away from the dining room and they entered the small sitting room on the other side of the foyer. "Your father and I had an arranged marriage. Did you know that?"

Draco sat down on a plush, white settee while Narcissa shut the doors. "No," he replied.

She nodded and took a seat beside him. "I was much younger than you are now when I found out," she explained. "I was 19 when your father and I married."

"What did you think of him at that time?" Draco wondered.

His mother reached for his hand and held it. "I didn't love him," she replied. "Most of the time I didn't even like him. He was cold, and I was sure he didn't know how to love anyone. I swore to myself that I wouldn't have children with him until I knew he loved me."

"What changed?"

Narcissa sighed sadly and turned to stare at the portrait of a white-haired, bespectacled man hanging above the fireplace. "His father died."

Draco stared at her with skepticism in his eyes. "I find it hard to believe that his father's death changed him," he retorted. "Given how quickly he turned back into a pompous ass."

Blue eyes narrowed coldly on him. "He's still your father. Show him a little respect," Narcissa reprimanded. "The Dark Lord's agenda poisoned his mind. He was so deeply entrenched in doing his bidding, but that doesn't mean he didn't love you or me. I've seen a different side of your father since your grandfather passed away. He became kinder, more loving. And when the Dark Lord vanished, I saw that side more often."

Draco dropped her hand and rose from the sofa. "So you would force your only child to have a marriage similar to your own?" he asked. "Arranged, loveless. I don't want to wait six years after I get married to fall in love with Astoria. I want to marry someone I already love."

"And Miss Granger - do you love her?" Narcissa asked.

His expression softened at the sound of her name. "Yeah, Mum, I do," he replied. It wasn't the truth. He knew it wasn't the truth. But it sounded pretty convincing, even to his own ears.

"I've heard gossip that your betrothed has been seen about with Theodore Nott," she commented. "Draco, I can't promise you that the two of you will be able to break your contract. Your father is set on this union."

"Why do I get the feeling that Astoria's and my feelings will never matter in this?" he wondered defeatedly. Without awaiting a reply, he moved to the fireplace, grabbed a handful of floo powder, and called out Hermione's location.

Hermione looked up from the book in her hands when she heard Draco's soft greeting. "Hi," she said. "I wasn't expecting you."

Draco flashed her a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Sorry to barge in," he murmured. "Do you feel like getting an ice cream? I could really use ice cream right now. Something with chocolate chips, perhaps."

"It's 9:30 in the morning," she pointed out, laughing as she closed her book.

"So what? We're adults," he replied. "Yesterday morning I ate three day old leftover Chinese takeaway. I don't think a little ice cream will ruin us."

He held out his hand to her, and, after a few seconds of hesitation, she accepted it. "Are you going to be a bad influence on me?" she wondered.

Draco shrugged. "Probably," he decided. "It could be fun though."

They walked hand-in-hand through Diagon Alley, ignoring the stares of passersby and the clicks of cameras. He led her into Florean Fortescue's shop. The shop keeper had died before the war, but the family he left behind kept the ice cream parlor running. It was a staple of the Alley, and the most popular hang out for all ages.

"Who did you have to bribe to get them to open this early?" Hermione wondered when they reached the counter.

"Believe it or not, I didn't have to," he replied. "A cup of mint chocolate chip, please."

Hermione stifled a laugh, but not well enough for it to go unnoticed. Draco looked at her with a questioning gleam in his eyes. "It's a bit girly is all," she replied, ordering a small cup of pumpkin ice cream.

"There's no such thing as girly ice cream," he retorted, taking his cup.

"Cookie dough, cookies and cream, mint chocolate chip, chocolate chocolate chunk - all girly flavors," she stated, taking her own and walking to the table closest to the windows.

He shook his head and sat down across from her. "That's some pretty flawed logic, Granger."

"Says the guy who thinks it's okay to eat ice cream for breakfast," she retorted, taking a generous helping from his cup. He moved it out of her reach and pushed his chair back for good measure. "So, why did you want ice cream?"

Sighing as his smile fell, he put the cup back down on the table. "My parents aren't happy with me," he confided. "This plan we've concocted, I don't think it's gonna work."

Reaching across the table, she took his hand. "Come with me," she said. Without question, he followed her from the shop. She said nothing as she linked her arm through his and continued to eat her ice cream. They had reached the center of town, stopping just in front of the Leaky Cauldron. "Do you trust me?" she asked, turning to face him as she fed him a bite of her dessert.

Draco nodded and swallowed. She searched his eyes for a moment, expecting some hint of hesitation. But there wasn't one. Closing her eyes, she rose to the tips of her toes and kissed him.


	8. Chapter 8

Happy Friday! Yup, that's all I have to say.

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Chapter 8  
Once more Draco and Hermione were splashed across the front page of _The Daily Prophet_, and Astoria Greengrass couldn't be happier. She was in love, and it wasn't with Draco Malfoy. After years of hoping Theo Nott would look her way, he had finally noticed her. And, it seemed, he felt the same way about her. The marriage contract between the two families was all that stood in her way.

"We need to talk."

Astoria turned at the sound of Draco's voice and smiled at him. "You and Granger have been playing this perfectly," she gushed. "A few more weeks of your pictures being plastered across the front page, and our parents will have to put an end to this."

"That's what we need to talk about," he replied as he took a seat near the fire. "It's not going to work if I'm the only one being photographed."

"Why not?" she wondered. "If my parents believe that you're cheating on me, there's no way they would still enforce the contract."

Draco shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "Sure, they would. It's not uncommon amongst Pureblood males to keep a mistress on the side," he countered. "You and Theo need to be seen more."

"But we're always out," she told him. "I've yet to see a camera. Do you call ahead or something?"

Laughing, he shook his head. "No, I think they just managed to install a tracking device in me," he joked. "Anyhow, Hermione and I have decided to lay low for a bit. Maybe if they can't photograph us, they'll move onto you and Theo."

Astoria nodded in agreement. "It's worth a try," she replied. "So, you're gonna stop seeing her, then?"

"I hope not," Draco said, staring at the fire. "I kind of...enjoy our time together. That must sound crazy."

"Not at all," she protested. "You've gotten to know her. It didn't seem possible that she was as horrible as you thought when we were in school. Do you like her now?"

Draco's smile grew as he turned to look at the woman he was supposed to marry. "Yeah, I do," he confided. But then his smile began to slip.

"But?" Astoria supplied.

"But," he continued, "she doesn't even think of me as her friend."

Armed only with an address and a desire to help a friend, Astoria paid a visit to Diagon Alley and Hermione's flat. She had no idea what to say or how Hermione would react to her sudden appearance. She wasn't even sure how the other witch felt about her. Perhaps it would have been better to turn around and go home. Before she could rethink her plan, though, Hermione emerged.

"Hermione!" she shouted a few feet from the other woman's door. A few brisk steps and she was in front of a very surprised looking witch. "I'm so glad I caught you. We need to talk about Draco."

"Um," she replied apprehensively, "I'm not really in the mood to give _The Prophet_ any quotes right now. I have somewhere I need to be."

Astoria chuckled. "Yeah, I don't blame you," she replied. "Given how much they follow the two of you around, I wouldn't talk either. But I'm not a reporter. And I guess I don't expect you to remember me either. After all, I was a couple of years behind you in school. I'm Astoria Greengrass."

Embarrassment colored Hermione's features as she apologized profusely. "Do you want to come up?" she asked. "I really was going out, but I have some time. Is Draco okay?"

"Oh, he's fine," came Astoria's breezy response. "Just, um, he doesn't know that I'm here or that I know where you live or that I had any intentions of talking to you. So, maybe we can keep this between us?"

Hermione nodded and led her back upstairs. She moved around nervously, offering refreshments and checking that Ginny wasn't home. Astoria watched with rapt amusement, but soon her patience began to wear thin. "How about you just sit?" she suggested. With a nod of her head, Hermione complied. "So, I think I should just get to the point. Draco likes you."

Brows furrowed and Hermione attempted to hold back a laugh. "He likes me?" she asked. "_Likes me_ likes me? What makes you say that?"

"He told me," Astoria replied with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. Hermione shot her a skeptical glance. "The thing is, he's not sure that you feel the same way."

"I don't," she admitted. "At least not like that. It was just the other day I wasn't sure if we were even friends or not. Maybe kissing him was a bad idea."

Astoria smiled. "Or maybe it was a good one," she pointed out. "The two of you hated each other for so long. Maybe it's a good thing that his feelings are changing. If nothing else, it's nice to know he cares about someone other than himself."

On that point, Hermione couldn't help but agree. But to say that Draco had feelings for her seemed completely off base. Perhaps they were friends now, but Hermione didn't see their relationship progressing beyond that. It couldn't.

"I think you care about him too," Astoria continued. Hermione turned her attention back to her. "You wouldn't have agreed to this ridiculous charade if you didn't. I'm not saying you care the same way he does. All I'm saying is give him a chance."

Astoria rose, ready to leave, but Hermione remained seated. "Draco is the first guy I've kissed since Ron and I broke up," she admitted. "It was nice; the way he held me. Like he was holding onto to me and holding me up at the same time. It's been far too long since I've felt that way."

"He mentioned that the two of you aren't going to see each other as often," Astoria said, holding onto the doorknob. "His idea or yours?"

Hermione frowned and turned to face her. "A bit of both, I guess."

"I have a better idea," the younger witch said with a conspiratorial grin. "Draco's convinced that Theo and I need to be seen more. Neither you nor Draco seem entirely into the idea of not seeing each other. So, if I may, a compromise. We double date."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
"You agreed to this?" Draco muttered as he pulled out Hermione's chair for her.

She rolled her eyes and sat down. It was the seventh time since they'd left her flat that he had asked. He'd said it twelve times when she had suggested it to him two days earlier. "Yes, Draco, I agreed to this," she said for the nineteenth time in two days. "And so did you."

"But why?" he whined, taking the seat beside her.

"Because Astoria was concerned that she and Theo might not attract attention on their own," she replied. "It makes sense that we do this since you and I seem to attract every camera in the country."

He looked around the small Italian restaurant to gauge just how many eyes were on them. "Don't you think it's weird though?" he questioned. "Betrothed double dating with their mistresses."

Hermione sipped her water and smiled. "Are men considered mistresses?" she wondered as Astoria and Theo arrived.

They took their seats across from the couple and Astoria smiled. "What's got the two of you so happy?" she wondered.

Hermione returned her grin. "Oh, we were just discussing whether or not Theo would be considered your mistress," she replied. She watched as Theo blushed a deep, dark shade of red. "Sorry," she murmured, feeling guilty.

"It's fine," he assured her as he received a comforting squeeze of the hand from Astoria. "So, um, it's good to see you, Grange...sorry, Hermione. It's been awhile."

"Sixth year Potions. I remember," she said. "You and Blaise tried to set my hair on fire."

Astoria elbowed him sharply in the ribs. "It was Blaise's idea!" he stated defensively as he received another jab. "I'm sorry!"

"Where was I for that?" Draco wondered, thinking back to their sixth year at Hogwarts. It was a year tied with the worst of his life.

Hermione leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Otherwise occupied," she murmured. Beneath the table, he took her hand and brought it to his lips. "So, what's good here?" she asked, hoping to lighten the mood.

Dinner passed with polite conversation and only a few quippy barbs. Astoria had watched with wide eyes when Hermione helped herself to a piece of Draco's chicken. It was even more astonishing that he didn't smack her hand away. Instead, he removed a tortellini from her plate and complimented her on her order choice. They played their parts perfectly, and neither seemed bothered by the other couple's presence.

"The two of you have gotten a little too good at this," Astoria commented as she and Hermione walked side-by-side out of the restaurant.

Hermione shrugged and the pair waited just outside for the men. "I thought that's what we were supposed to be doing."

"It is," the other woman agreed. "You just do it _so_ well. It's like you're in a real relationship with him."

"Sometimes it feels that way," Hermione admitted. "And it's not just when we're in public and he has to act that way. He brings me dinner or picks up books he thinks I'll like. I came home from the Weasleys the other day and a bouquet of pink tulips were on the counter in the shop. No one can see it. No one's taking photos of it. He just does it."

"Because he knows it'll make you happy," Astoria concluded. Hermione nodded in agreement. "When are you going to realize it's because he likes you?"

Arms wound around her waist before she could reply. "Ice cream?" Draco suggested, holding Hermione flush against his chest.

"After all you just ate, you've still got room for dessert?" Hermione asked in amazement. Draco nodded his head unabashedly. "You ate half of my dinner as well as the entirety of yours. You're still hungry?"

Shrugging, he pulled away until he was beside her with an arm around her waist. "Believe it or not, there's still room."

"Bottomless pit," she muttered as he led her to the ice cream parlor. "Share with me? I don't think handle a whole cup on my own. Some of us don't have an endless supply of room."

"Butter pecan okay?" he asked. "Or is that too girly?"

She rested her head against his shoulder. "That's my second favorite flavor," she told him.

The two couples entered the shop and Astoria immediately pulled Hermione away under the guise of a trip to the ladies' room. With the door shut and locked behind them, the younger witch rounded on a stunned Hermione. "Spill," she demanded excitedly. "Because I feel like I'm not getting the entire truth from either one of you."

"There's nothing to say," Hermione insisted, looking for a way out.

Astoria shook her head in disbelief. "Our parents - Draco's and mine - both had arranged marriages," she stated. "I know what pretending to be in love looks like. My mother might care about my father, but they've slept in separate wings of the house for as long as I can remember. How they ever had two children is a mystery to me."

"Why are you telling me this?" Hermione wondered.

"It's like I said, I know what fake feelings look like," the younger woman continued. "And what I'm seeing between you and Draco - it's either real or you're a really good actress."

Hermione glanced at the door and sighed in frustration. "Okay, fine," she unwillingly relented. "Maybe I do feel something for him. I just...it's Draco. Nothing will ever come of this. His parents, even if the two of you manage to get out of your marriage contract, I'm the last person on the planet they would allow him to be with."

Astoria grinned happily. "But you do want to be with him." It was more of a statement than a question. Hermione's shrug seemed to suffice. "I don't think Draco gives a hang what his parents want. If he wants to be with you, he'll figure out a way to do it."

"And if he doesn't want to be with me?" she wondered. "I won't get my hopes up that him liking me is anything more than as a friend. And Draco's been a good friend to me. I don't want to lose that because I allowed my feelings to get in the way."

Astoria unlocked the door and held it open for Hermione. "Right, because feelings have no place in a relationship, platonic or otherwise," she retorted.

Draco and Theo were seated at a table for four, awaiting the girls' return. Looking up, Draco smiled at the site of Hermione. "You okay?" he asked when she sat down. "The two of you were in there for an awfully long time."

"It's fine. Thanks for saving me," she pulled the cup close to inspect it, "a spoonful."

Draco blushed sheepishly. "I was afraid it would melt," was his excuse. "I can get more, if you want it."

Hermione shook her head and smiled. "This is plenty," she promised, kissing his cheek. Beneath the table, she felt a sharp kick to her calf. Turning away from Draco as she attempted to hide the pain, she caught Astoria's eye.

"I need to use the loo again," Astoria announced. "Hermione?"

"I'm good, thanks," she replied, securing her arm around Draco's. "Besides, I see a camera outside. You wouldn't want them to miss you."

Astoria huffed and reclaimed her seat, unaware that that was the last chance she would have to talk to Hermione that night.


	10. Chapter 10

Does anyone else watch Teen Wolf? My best friend recommended it to me last week and I'm a bit obsessed. I only have four more episodes of season 2 to watch, which I should probably make last until next summer. Nah, I'll just rewatch a million times between now and then.

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Chapter 10  
Hermione had lunch set up in the shop downstairs for Harry and herself. He arrived with a smile on his face and kissed his friend's cheek. "The shop is really coming along," he commented.

The walls had been painted a pale blue, and got darker as one moved from the front door to the very back of the shop. Soft, white carpet, charmed to never dirty, covered the floors. The pre-existing shelves were fixed and restained, while six rows of new shelves were installed.

"The furniture will be here in a couple of days," Hermione reported, handing him a sandwich. "All of this has been the easy part. We've been talking to suppliers to actually get books in here. I've already got two lined up, but that's not nearly enough to fill a store. Draco's got a couple of deals in the works though. He's been really involved for an investor."

"And how's that going?" Harry inquired.

"Good," she replied quickly. "We doubled with Astoria and Theo Nott. She's really nice. Do you remember her sister, Daphne? She was in our year."

Harry smiled despite the blush that rose up his neck. "I remember thinking she was really pretty," he admitted.

"Sorry, she's off the market," Hermione teased, elbowing him in the ribs. "She ran away from home after the war. Apparently, she too had a marriage contract that she had no intentions of fulfilling."

Harry put down his food and turned to Hermione with an utmost serious expression on his face. "Are you insinuating that you and Draco Malfoy are planning to run off together?"

Then she laughed. Hermione laughed until she had tears in her eyes and Harry had to steady her to keep from falling off the counter upon which they sat. "Oh God, no," she told him as she attempted to catch her breath. "I couldn't leave now anyway. Not with the shop so close to being ready to open."

"So, why did you tell me that then?" he wondered.

Hermione shrugged and turned back to her food. "Just making conversation, I guess," she mumbled.

Nodding, Harry continued to eat. But a gnawing thought preyed on his mind. "Hermione, why didn't Astoria or Draco consider doing the same thing?" he asked.

"Well, Draco's on probation until he's 25, so fleeing the country is out of the question for him," she stated. "And as for Astoria, she's really close with her parents. Too close to even consider running away like Daphne did."

Harry shook his head in disgust. "What kind of parent forces their child to marry someone?"

"Purebloods."

Harry and Hermione both turned to look toward the now open shop door. Draco closed it behind him and approached the pair cautiously. "Potter," he said, extending his hand to his former schoolyard enemy. When Harry accepted it, Draco let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"What brings you here?" Harry inquired, his tone friendly.

Draco turned to Hermione. "My mother wants to meet you," he told her.

"_Just_ your mother?" Harry asked.

Draco nodded, awaiting a reply from Hermione. "When?" she inquired. "And...why?"

"Because I don't think she fully agrees with an arranged marriage," he replied. "She's just not going to tell my father no on something like this. But she understands that you're important to me, and I intend to keep you in my life. I think she just wants to get to know you."

She looked to Harry, her best friend, to tell her what to do. When he shook his head, she took it to mean that she shouldn't go. As she opened her mouth to reject the request, Harry placed a hand over her lips. "I meant 'no, I'm not telling you what to do,'" he clarified.

"Do you think she'd be okay with not doing it at the Manor?" Hermione asked, her voice small. The mere mention of that place brought back horrific memories. Images of Bellatrix Lestrange, the Dark Lord's right hand woman, tortured her. She held her arm, pressing her thumb against the crudely carved letters that had never healed.

"Yeah, whatever's more comfortable for you," Draco promised, caressing the side of her face. "We'll talk later when I have the details worked out."

Hermione nodded and felt Draco's gentle lips touch her forehead. He bade Harry goodbye and promised once more to call later before he left. "I don't want to meet her," Hermione whispered after the door closed.

Food forgotten, Harry put his arm around her shoulders and held her close. "Then don't go," he said softly. "Malfoy seems understanding enough to let you out of this. I mean, he was there that day, front and center. And he knows better than anyone how his parents think."

"But it's not his parents, only his mother," she pointed out, resting her head on his shoulder. "What if she's not as bad as his father?"

"You know there's only one way to find out."

"Legilimency?" Harry chuckled, but shook his head. "Fine, I'll go," she decided with a huff.

"Good," Harry replied. "Now that that's settled, we need to talk about Ron."

Hermione eyed him suspiciously, wondering if Ron was his motive for coming for lunch. And if he was, hadn't Harry figured out by now that she didn't want to discuss Ron after his numerous blow ups regarding Draco? "Talk about what?" she inquired, her face transforming into a mask of disinterest.

"Look," he said defensively, "I'll be the first to admit that you and Malfoy came as a complete shock. I also don't agree with the way Ron handled finding out. He's never been the type to accept change easily. He just...he misses you, Mione. I know the two of you didn't have the easiest break up, but you were able to be friends with him again after it. I think that's what he wants, to be friends again."

"I'm fine with that," she stated. "But it should have come from Ron, not you."

"Honestly, I think he's afraid of you," Harry joked. "We've seen you with a wand when you're angry. It's never pretty."

"That didn't stop him from shouting at me twice after the paper printed photos of Draco and me together," she argued.

"I'm not saying he was right to do it," Harry countered. "But he's had time to cool off, what with you not speaking to him for weeks. Talk to him, let him apologize, and then decide if he's someone you still want in your life."

Begrudgingly, Hermione agreed. Hopping off of the counter, she began to clean up their finished lunch. She wondered if she would ever have a quiet moment again. One free of confrontations with people who weren't happy with her. Yes, she decided, when her sham of a relationship was Draco was over, things would go back to normal.

"Do you love Malfoy?" Harry asked as he readied himself to leave.

"Yes," she replied without hesitation. She caught herself before she could say anything more. Harry left, and Hermione wondered if perhaps she really meant it.


	11. Chapter 11

I don't feel like working. Posting another chapter seemed like a much better use of my time.

* * *

Chapter 11  
"If I don't make it out of this alive, please tell Ginny she's not entitled to everything in my wardrobe," Hermione stated as she and Draco entered a small cafe.

Draco squeezed her hand gently as he led her inside. "Now, there's the defeatist I know and love," he joked as he spotted his mother. "You will survive this. Unless you have a strange food allergy you didn't know about. I promise, that's the only way harm will come to you during this lunch."

"You swear?" she asked. "On everything you hold dear? On the hair on your head?"

He laughed and pulled out a chair for her. "Yes, even on that," he avowed.

"You've got my son swearing on his hair, his most prized possession," Narcissa commented, smiling kindly at the young witch now seated across from her. "You must really have him wrapped around your finger already."

"That she does," Draco replied, first kissing his mother's cheek then taking a seat beside Hermione. "Mum, I take it you remember Hermione Granger?"

Narcissa nodded. "Of course, and I must say I'm glad to be meeting again under more pleasant circumstances."

Memories of Malfoy Manor flooded back in Hermione's mind and she clutched Draco's hand tighter beneath the table. After a few calming breaths, she replied, "I am too. Draco talks about you all the time, so it's nice to be able to meet like this."

Narcissa eyed her son curiously. "All horrible things, I'm sure," she teased.

"Only about ninety percent of what I've told her was bad," he shot back, smiling. "Remind me to tell you about the time she dangled me over a banister for stealing a cookie."

"That never happened!" she insisted. "Hermione, believe nothing that comes out of his mouth."

Nerves forgotten, Hermione joined their laughter. "Believe me, I don't," she replied. "By the way, the bats in the attic that terrified him and kept him awake every night until he was 11 - those weren't real, right?"

Clearing his throat, Draco glared at his mother to keep from answering. "What's good here?" he asked, hoping for a change in subject.

"I took the liberty of ordering champagne," Narcissa stated. "Do you drink, dear?"

The young couple turned to look at each other briefly. "Once, and it had terrible repercussions," Hermione replied before feeling a pinch on her arm.

"Yeah, you looked terrible in that newspaper photo," Draco remarked.

"Perhaps that's because I had to carry someone twice my size," Hermione retorted with an over exuberant smile.

"Now, really, darling, we shouldn't fight like this in front of my mother. She'll get the wrong idea," he chided, kissing the back of her hand. "I thought you looked beautiful that night."

Hermione patted his hand with her free one. "Well, you were drunk that night too," she replied, "but thank you."

Narcissa watched the exchange with a bemused smirk. After they ordered, she turned her attention to Hermione. "I hope you don't find this question out of line, but I'd like to know why you're with my son," she inquired.

The younger witch choked on her water and coughed to clear her throat. "I..I don't...um," she stuttered. The feel of Draco's free hand on her back brought her back to her senses. She cleared her throat once more, hoping its former power would be restored. "It's strange, isn't it? Two people who professed their undying hatred for one another as long as we have are now together. I guess I saw something different in him before the war. Maybe it was his fear of Voldemort, but I suddenly realized he was hurting too. That he had feelings too. That year changed how I saw him, and for the better."

"And you're happy together?"

Hermione smiled. "The happiest I've been in a long time," she replied.

Bending down, Narcissa retrieved a newspaper from her handbag and passed it to her son. "I take it Astoria is seeing someone else as well," she commented. "She seems happy with Theodore if the pictures are anything to go by."

"He's all she talks about," Hermione interjected. Narcissa's eyebrows rose with an unasked question. "We've been good friends since Draco introduced us."

The older witch nodded and remained silent as their food arrived. With the waiter now gone, she continued to question the couple. "Does she plan to keep Theodore on the side after you marry?"

"Honestly, Mum, I think she intends to marry _him_," Draco replied as he cut into his chicken.

"What would happen if she did that?" Hermione wondered. "It would break the betrothal contract, meaning Draco can marry whomever he chooses."

Narcissa set her fork aside and turned her head so she wouldn't have to meet the young couple's eyes. She could see the hope emanating, and didn't want to see it shatter. "I have a feeling my husband would make arrangements with another well respected Pureblood family should Draco and Astoria not marry," she replied.

"What, um, what if we got married?" Draco asked. Hermione pulled her hand out of his and excused herself from the table. Narcissa turned to stare at her son before urging him to go after her. Draco found her outside, walking in the direction of her flat. "Hermione, wait!"

She stopped and turned to face him. "Marriage, Draco? Really?" she asked, appalled by the mere idea of the suggestion. "That's not part of the plan. That's asking too much of me."

He pulled her deep into an alley where they would have a bit more privacy. "I wasn't proposing to you," he assured her. "I just wanted to know what would happen. I'm sorry if I made it seem like I expected you to marry me right now. I have no intentions of putting you in that situation."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and allowed Draco to pull her into an embrace. "I'm sorry I ran out of there," she murmured, pressing her face against his chest. "How do we explain that one to your mother?"

"We could tell her the truth," he suggested. "Or at least, a version of it. You weren't expecting to discuss marriage so soon and it scared you a bit. She doesn't need to know anything else. She'll probably feel bad for you and be mad at me for bringing it up in the first place."

"Narcissa Malfoy mad at her precious baby boy? Now that I have to see," she remarked with a smirk as he led her back inside. They stopped by the door when Hermione tugged on his arm. "It's not that I think it would be horrible to marry you. I just want who I marry to be my choice."

Draco smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Looks like we're on the same page, Granger," he whispered.


	12. Chapter 12

I thought I'd post a new chapter before the long weekend begins. Today's a half day at work, so I'm leaving early to go shopping. Because, did I mention, it's also pay day!

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Chapter 12  
"Out," Hermione said with a laugh as she pushed Draco toward the front door. "Ron will be here any minute, and he may kill you on site."

"Good, then I won't have to get married," he replied, wrapping his arms around her waist. "And you won't have to worry about my parents thinking we're going to get married. And Weasley gets rids of me. It's a win-win-win situation."

All humor receded from her eyes. "That wouldn't be a win, Draco," she told him. "You not being here, I mean."

One arm remained around her while he brought his other hand up to cup her cheek. "Would you miss me if I wasn't around?" he asked.

"You know I would."

Leaning forward, his lips hovered just above her own. "So, when I walk out that door, you'll miss me?"

"No," she replied, attempting to kiss him. "I just don't want you to die."

He pulled away before their lips could connect. "See you later then," he replied, unwinding his arm from her waist so he could open the door. He had just passed the threshold when he turned back, a concerned look in his eyes. "If anything happens - he gets mad, yells, throws something, pulls his wand on you - I want you to call me."

Hermione moved towards the door and placed her hand over his on the doorknob. "Harry will be here too. I'll be fine," she assured him.

"I just worry about you, that's all," he murmured.

"Well, sure. Who else are you going to convince to be your fake mistress?" she teased, hoping it would lighten the mood.

But it seemed to have the opposite effect as his mood soured considerably. "You know that's not the reason," he stated. "Merlin, Hermione, please tell me you know that's not the reason."

The floo roaring to life went unnoticed by the pair by the front door. "I know," she whispered. Placing her hand on the back of his neck, she used it as leverage to reach his lips. "Believe me, Draco, I know." She pressed her lips to his briefly before he pulled away.

"You've got company," he told her, looking over the top of her head to where Harry and Ron stood behind her. He removed her hand from his neck and let it go so it fell back to her side. "We'll talk later."

She nodded, as though in a daze, and closed the door behind him. Slowly, she turned to face her friends behind her. Ron turned without a word and walked back to the living room. Harry offered her a comforting smile and beckoned for her to join them. She took a seat beside Harry, across from Ron, and waited for someone else to speak.

The silence created a thick tension amongst the trio, one Harry couldn't help but break. "Ron, wasn't there something you wanted to say to Hermione?" he prodded.

"Yeah, what was _he_ doing here?" Ron demanded.

"We're dating. That's what couples do. They actually make time for one another," Hermione replied with equal irritation.

Ron shook his head in disgust, but before he could say anything else, Harry jumped in. "That wasn't what I had in mind," he stated pointedly. "Wasn't there something else? Something that contained a bit more contrition?"

Pursing his lips, the redhead turned away from the pair on the sofa. "It's not that I don't want to be friends, Mione," he said. "I just can't stand Malfoy. After all he's done, the ways he's hurt you - I just don't get it. Why him?"

Her anger slowly ebbed. "He's different," she replied simply. "He's not the same Malfoy he was back in school. The war didn't only affect the good guys, Ron. A lot of his friends and family were killed, and a good amount of the friends he had who didn't fight in the war abandoned him."

"But you couldn't just be his friend?" Ron wondered. "I mean, dating someone who's already engaged to another woman doesn't exactly look good."

"They're not getting married," she insisted defensively. "Astoria is with Theo and Draco's with me. They won't marry each other."

"There's a contract, Hermione, between the two families," he argued. "The Greengrasses might be fine with Astoria marrying Nott. He's a Pureblood, after all, and as far as I know, he stayed out of the war. But the Malfoys? They won't accept their precious only son marrying a muggleborn. It's like you've got blinders on, like you're not seeing the situation clearly because you think the two of you are in love."

"We are," she said adamantly, getting to her feet. "It's fine with me if you don't accept that, but it's the truth."

Ron held up his hands in a show of surrender. "Fine, you love him," he said gruffly. "Do you really think it'll work out between the two of you in the long run?"

"Yes, I do."

Behind them, a throat cleared. Hermione turned, expecting it to be Harry, but was surprised to find Ginny there. "Can we talk for a minute?" she asked Hermione.

"Something wrong?" Hermione wondered as Ginny led her to her bedroom. "Oh, God, you're not pregnant, are you?"

"Merlin, no!" Ginny replied, charming the door with a silencing charm. "We need to talk about you. Specifically, you and Malfoy. I heard what you said about the two of you being in love. Is it true, or was that all for the act?"

Sighing, Hermione took a seat at the foot of Ginny's bed. "It's true," she admitted. "I really like him."

"And he feels the same way?"

Hermione nodded. "I think so. I think this whole thing has stopped being an act for him."

"Has he told you that?"

"In his own, Draco-like way," she replied with a smile. "I just think he's waiting for the contract to be broken to do anything."

Ginny understood. "Because if he did it now, you might not think it's real. And I have a feeling you want it to be real."

She smiled sadly. "Yeah, Ginny, I do."

"I guess the two of you will have to work extra hard to break that contract then. Or should I say the four of you," Ginny replied with an encouraging smile. "Now, let's get you back out there to continue repairing your friendship with my brother. It's going so well from what I could see."

"Shut up, Ginny," Hermione replied with a laugh as they exited the room.

When they returned to the living room, Harry paced with the newspaper in hand and a concerned scowl on his face. "Have you seen this?" he asked, spotting Hermione from the corner of his eye.

Shaking her head, she took the proffered paper and read the headline - _Youngest Greengrass Daughter Goes Missing_.


	13. Chapter 13

All day long, I've been a day behind and a day ahead. I keep thinking it's Monday, but I also think it's September 5th. I clearly have no concept of time. On a happier note, I've started a new story, _The Escape_. Chapter 1 is up already if you haven't read it yet!

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Chapter 13  
"Do you know anything about this?"

Draco turned toward the voice behind him. Hermione stepped from his fireplace with a copy of _The Daily Prophet_ in hand. She held it up so he could see the headline, and he nodded. "Theo told me," he replied.

"Where is she? Is she alright? Does he know anything?" she asked, her questions coming out in one, rushed breath.

He rose from his chair and took her in his arms. "Astoria's fine," he assured her. "Theo plans to join her as soon as he can."

"But where is she?" Hermione insisted, pulling away from his grasp.

He led her back to the seat he had occupied when she arrived and pulled her down to sit on his lap. "Remember Daphne?" he asked. "After the war, she and Adrian Pucey ran off to America to get married. Poor Daphne was supposed to marry Goyle."

"So, she's in America with her sister?" Draco nodded. "Did she and Theo get married?"

"As far as I know, they haven't," he replied. "Not yet, anyhow. He's set to leave tomorrow for New York City. They'll probably get married once he gets there."

She rested her head against his shoulder and shut her eyes for a brief moment. "I don't understand why she left now," she said. "Why make us put on this charade if she was just going to run off with him?"

Draco's hold on her loosened. "She wasn't going to," he informed her. "Her father was here yesterday to talk to Lucius. They decided that they didn't care if the both of us were seeing other people, they're still enforcing the contract. That's when she decided to leave."

So that was it, Hermione thought. The game was over. There would no longer be a need to pretend she and Draco were a couple. His father would find him a new wife, and there was no telling if she would go along with the idea of a mistress as well as Astoria had.

"What's on your mind?" Draco asked. His lips ghosted over her forehead before she lifted her head.

"You," she answered honestly.

He smiled a sad smile. "You mean us," he predicted. There was nothing she could do but nod. "I guess with Astoria being gone there's no point in pretending to be a couple anymore."

"So, we break up?" she asked, feeling her ire irrationally rise. "Do we have to do it publicly? Should one of us cry? Maybe some begging and pleading to take the other one back might make for a good show."

Once again, he tightened his hold on her as Hermione attempted to vacate his lap. "You said you understood," he muttered. "I thought you knew how I felt about you, but maybe I was wrong."

"Wrong how?" she asked.

Draco scoffed. "Don't pretend that you don't know," he admonished her. "I know Astoria told you how I feel. Hell, I thought I'd shown you how I felt for the last two months."

He let her go and Hermione got to her feet to put some distance between them. "I thought it wasn't real," she insisted. "Or that maybe you acting like you liked me more was supposed to help make it seem like we were really a couple. I don't know, Draco! All I know is that at some point I started to feel something for you, something I've never felt for anyone before."

"Then be with me," he pleaded, standing up. "Don't end things. Don't make me end things because I don't want this to be over."

"And when your father arranges another betrothal for you?" she wondered as her eyes clouded with tears she didn't want to shed. "With the both of us already emotionally invested, how to do you think it's going to feel when you marry someone else?"

Taking her hands in his, he pulled her to him. "I'm not marrying anyone else," came his adamant reply. "I don't care if he cuts me off. I can get a job and a flat. I don't need them and their archaic ideas about arranged marriages."

Hermione pried her hands out of his. "Don't do that," she murmured. "Your mother is still on your side, and she needs you. She loves you more than anything in the world. Don't alienate yourself from them because of me."

"Even if that's what I want?" he asked.

"Are you sure it's what you want?" she wondered, cupping his face in her hands. "And don't answer right now. Take some time and think about it. Right now, I have to go."

After placing one final kiss on his lips, she pulled away before Draco could trap her in his arms once more. With only a small glance behind her, she stepped into the fireplace and floo'd home. She waited until her bedroom door was closed and locked to finally let her tears escape. Knuckles rapped against the door, but Hermione ignored them. When the lock clicked, she did nothing to stop someone from entering.

"Mione? You okay?" Ron asked, bending down to kneel beside where she sat on the floor. "What happened? Talk to me, please."

She lifted her head slightly, her mouth covered by her arm. "It's over," she said softly. "Draco and I - he's gonna realize that we shouldn't be together and it's going to be all over."

"What makes you say that?" he wondered. He moved to sit beside her and draped his arm around her shaking shoulders. "Hermione, you...I regret that I didn't realize how absolutely wonderful you are when I had the chance to be with you. If Malfoy doesn't realize that too, then he's just as big an idiot as I am. You deserve someone good, someone who'll love you."

"That's just it. Draco does love me," she interjected.

Ron couldn't help the chuckle that passed his lips. "Then why would you think he wants to break up with you?" he asked.

"Because it can't work with the arranged marriages and his stupid, bigoted father," she replied. "I love him, but I can't be with him."

Ron held her tighter. "You'll find a way, Mione," he assured her. "You always do."


	14. Chapter 14

Has school started yet for everyone who's still in school? I miss school...sometimes. Well, I miss the back to school shopping and wearing a uniform. Sure, it took me like 10 years to get over my fear of plaid, but I did it.

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Chapter 14  
It wasn't long before _The Daily Prophet_ began publishing pictures of Draco cavorting with other women. It started off innocently enough with a photo of Pansy Parkinson and him having lunch. They soon escalated to buxom blondes and clandestine meetings. It was obvious to Hermione that Draco had already thought about the direction of their relationship and had decided to terminate it.

Without bothering to tell her.

It was a game that two could play. If only she had wanted to play it. It had been her idea to end things despite his protests. But they weren't supposed to end. Draco was supposed to think about his situation, and how she fit into it. Perhaps he had realized she didn't fit in, and he hadn't had the heart to tell her.

"Coward," she grumbled, tossing the paper in the trash.

"So, it's really over?" Ginny asked, watching the photo move until Hermione slammed the lid back on the can.

"Guess so," Hermione replied. "Good riddance, right?"

"Wrong," the redhead retorted. "Just last week it was 'I like him and he likes me too!' Then Astoria goes missing, which I think you know something about but are refusing to tell me, and suddenly it's 'good riddance to bad rubbish.' What happened, Hermione?"

"We both knew it had to end sometime," she stated flippantly. "Clearly, this is Malfoy's way of really driving that point home."

Ginny shook her head. "I don't believe that for a second. Not after the way you'd been talking the last couple of weeks. Whose idea was this break up?"

"Mine, I guess," Hermione replied. "Well, I asked him to think about being in a relationship with me and if he thought it could work between us. I guess we both know his answer now."

"I seem to recall inaccurate photos of the two of you printed in the paper," Ginny pointed out. "What's to say this isn't the exact same thing?"

Sighing, Hermione replied, "Because if it was, he would have said something to me by now."

Harry and Ron strolled through Diagon Alley on their way to Hermione and Ginny's flat. It hadn't been their intention to talk to Draco, but as they passed The Leaky Cauldron, Draco Malfoy stumbled out. Harry reached for him first, noticing how unbalanced the obviously drunk blond was.

"Ah, Potter, so good to see you," Draco slurred as he looped his arm around Harry's shoulders. "Let's drink."

"I think you've had enough," Harry cautioned.

"Oh, are the Aurors gonna turn me in?" Draco asked with mock fear in his booze-addled voice.

"No, but I reckon Hermione won't take too kindly to you embarrassing yourself in public," Ron stated.

Draco rolled his eyes and attempted to get away from the two friends. "She dumped me," he replied. "She doesn't care what I do. Or who. There was a who. Not a good who. Lousy who. Who doesn't sound like a word anymore."

"It's still a word," Harry promised. After some cajoling, he finally convinced Draco to put one foot in front of the other and leave the pub behind.

Ron walked beside Harry, as far from Malfoy as he could be. "You can't take him to Mione's place," he murmured. "You didn't see her that day. She was devastated. I really don't think she wants to see him."

"We can't just leave him in the middle of the street," Harry argued. "We'll bring him in and send him back to his house. We can probably manage it without Hermione even knowing."

"Fat chance," he muttered as they approached the book shop.

Draco stopped walking suddenly, causing Harry to trip over his own feet. "No," he said adamantly, staring at the shop. The sign had just been hung, one he had commissioned for Hermione as soon as she decided on a name - The Magic Word. "Can't go in there."

Ron crossed his arms triumphantly, glad for once that he and Malfoy saw eye to eye. "Too bad," Harry said, dragging him forward. "I understand that you and Hermione broke up, but she stills cares about you."

"Not for long," Draco muttered. "The who."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, that probably won't help your case," he agreed.

"But the two of you broke up," Ron countered. "She can't hold it against you if you already broke up."

Draco glared at the redhead who had always hated him. "Spoken like a man who cheated on his girlfriend," he replied angrily.

"I never cheated on Hermione," Ron spat back.

"Enough! The both of you," Harry said as he opened the front door to the shop. He silently led Draco and Ron up the stairs and let them into Hermione and Ginny's flat. After directing Ron to take a seat, Harry moved Draco over to the fireplace and prepared to help him get home.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked, noticing her once empty space was filled.

Harry turned to face his friend and grinned sheepishly. "Just giving Draco here a hand," he informed her.

Her eyes moved from Harry to the drunk blond hanging off of him. "Could I talk to him before you send him home?"

Draco's head snapped up and he nodded before pushing Harry's arm away. Hermione turned on her heel and walked back to her room with Draco following behind. "You're drunk again," she stated, closing the door behind him. "We both know nothing good comes of your inebriation."

"We were good," he murmured, taking a seat on her bed as his vision blurred.

"We weren't real," she countered.

He laid back and closed his eyes. "Yes, we were. Everything I felt for you was real."

Hermione sighed tiredly. Perhaps talking to him now wasn't the best idea. She moved to the bed and sat down near the headboard, leaving Draco at the foot of the bed.

"It wasn't supposed to be real," she clarified.

From his reclined position, he opened his eyes and tilted his head up to look at her. "Even upside down, you're beautiful," he told her. "Remember the first time I took you out? Paris? You wore that black dress and my blazer over it when you got cold. Just took it from me without waiting for me to offer it to you. That was it for me."

"Why?" she wondered with a self-deprecating laugh. "I thought you would have found it pushy and annoying."

"Sure, but it was kind of endearing at the same time," he replied. Sitting up, he pushed himself back until they sat beside each other. "I've missed you."

"You've seemed pretty well occupied if the _Prophet_ is anything to go by," she said, attempting to keep the rising feelings of jealousy and anger at bay.

Draco shook his head, then rested it atop her throw pillows. "My father," he muttered. "He's determined to find me a wife."

"So he's been setting up your dates for you?"

"Pretty much," he replied, taking her hand. He held it tentatively, fearful that she might pull away. "They were awful. All of them."

"There wasn't one who piqued your interest?" she asked, lacing her fingers through his.

"No," he said. "Because not one of them was you."


	15. Chapter 15

I thought some of you might enjoy a chapter before the weekend starts. I'll be in Virginia for the NASCAR race with my dear old dad, and they're predicting thunderstorms. Joy.

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Chapter 15  
It was real.

Their relationship was now officially real.

"We are doing this for us," Draco had told her, holding her until she fell asleep. "No one else. It's just you and me now."

Astoria had insisted that Hermione and Draco join her and Theo in New York City where they planned to elope. Draco had found it strange to be invited as a witness to his former fiancee's wedding, but Hermione had insisted they go. And Draco had given in easily. He felt a lingering guilt over his actions during their time apart, and saying yes seemed to momentarily abate the feeling. Harry had warned him that she would find out eventually, and that Draco should be the one to tell her. He just couldn't seem to bring himself to do it.

"Merlin, this city is crowded," Draco muttered as he escorted Hermione through the throngs of pedestrians. "It's no wonder Astoria chose it. You could easily get lost in this crowd."

"Would you ever run away like this?" she asked, increasing her gait to keep up with him.

They reached their hotel and Draco led her to the elevator bank. "If I had to," he replied. "Would you? If it was the only way we could be together, would you leave England?"

She squeezed his hand and smiled. "Yeah, I think I would," she told him.

"Because you like being with me?" he asked.

"You know I do," she replied as they stepped into a waiting elevator car.

"Do you love being with me?" he asked, his smile growing as he anticipated her answer.

The smile she wore matched his. Rising up on her tiptoes, she pressed her mouth to his. "I love you, Draco," she murmured against the softness of his lips. "I don't know that there's anything that will change the way I feel about you."

A soft ding alerted them that they were at their floor, and they walked hand in hand towards their room. Astoria waited outside their door for them, her smile stretching from ear to ear. "I'm stealing her," she stated, taking Hermione's free hand. "Dress shopping."

Hermione turned wide eyes on her boyfriend. "Please don't let her take me," she begged. "I don't want to try on dresses."

"Theo needs you for suit shopping," Astoria informed Draco, tugging on Hermione to pull her away from him.

Draco held tighter to Hermione. "What's the plan?" he asked. "Were you able to find a wizard to perform the wedding?"

Astoria smiled and shook her head. "We're doing it the muggle way, and Adrian will perform the bonding after," she replied. "It'll be legal and binding, and there's nothing my father will be able to do to split us up."

"Sounds like you've thought of everything," he commented. "If only you'd thought of a way to convince Hermione to go shopping with you."

Her grin turned wicked. "There's a huge bookshop next door to where we're going," she stated, turning her attention to the witch. "It even has a cafe so we can get a bite to eat. Or I can while you browse. I've set aside most of the day just for that."

Delight shown in Hermione's brown eyes, and she quickly dropped Draco's hand. "We can go to the bookstore?" she confirmed. "And I can spend as much time as I want there?"

"Yes," Astoria said with a laugh. "But we dress shop first. Draco, Theo's waiting for you."

With a kiss goodbye, he left the women to their shopping and found Theo in the suite he'd booked for Hermione and himself. "Did the front desk give you a key, or did Alohomora work just fine?" he wondered, setting their bags down by the bed.

Theo grinned. "I've always loved that spell," he replied. "It must be latent criminal behavior. How's Hermione?"

Draco chuckled. "How do you go from a penchant for breaking and entering to asking about my girlfriend?" he wondered.

"I'm serious," Theo said. "Does she know?"

Sighing, he shook his head. "Does Astoria know what I did?" he asked worriedly.

"No, I didn't tell her," Theo promised. "And I won't either. But you have to tell Hermione."

"I will," Draco replied. "After the wedding."

Strolling arm-in-arm down Fifth Avenue, Astoria pointed out shops and famous sites as they approached their destination. "You would look pretty in that," Astoria said, pointing to a strapless, white gown that hung in the window.

"I thought we were looking for your wedding dress, not mine," Hermione replied, though her eyes lingered on the silky fabric. "But yes, it is quite lovely. What kind of dress did you have in mind?"

Astoria looked around the shop wistfully. "I always thought I'd look like a princess when I got married," she said, fingering the tulle skirt on the nearest dress. "But it's really just the six of us, so there's no need to go too fancy, right?"

"Six?" Hermione asked, picking up a diamond-encrusted tiara.

"Daphne and Adrian are coming," she told her excitedly. "Did I tell you they moved here after the war? Or, should I say, ran away to here. I hate that it's been so long since I've seen her."

Hermione set down the jeweled headpiece. "Why isn't she helping you with this then?" she wondered.

Astoria shrugged. "She's due any day now," she replied. "It's probably not good for her to be traipsing all over the city. Can you believe I'm going to be an aunt?" Her smile fell just as quickly as it had appeared. "My parents will never meet their grandchild."

Hermione put her arm around the younger witch's shoulders. "I'm sure they will one day," she said softly.

She gave a halfhearted nod and pulled away. "I like this one," she decided, holding up a lace-bodiced dress with an a-line skirt. "Simple but pretty."

In the fitting room, Hermione helped her into the dress and zipped up the back. It fell an inch below her feet, but hugged each curve of her body perfectly. Smiling, Hermione instructed her to stay where she was and went back to the showroom. When she returned, she had the diamond tiara in hand. She gently placed it in Astoria's hair, and the two women turned back to the mirror.

"Now you look like a princess," Hermione commented, beaming.

"Your turn now," Astoria replied with a cunning smile. She removed the gown and redressed before returning to the showroom to find the perfect dress for her friend. "So, how are things with Draco? Ya know, now that it's really real."

Hermione removed a pale pink dress from the rack and held it up to herself. "Good," she replied nonchalantly. Astoria looked unconvinced and put the dress back. "No, it is. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"I think something happened when we were apart, something he's not telling me about."


	16. Chapter 16

It's so cold! I don't do well in the cold, and by cold I mean anything under 75 degrees. The sweaters and jackets have already come out!

* * *

Chapter 16  
_Witch Weekly_ had printed the interview. The headline, _My Night with Draco Malfoy_, was printed in big, bold lettering on the cover. There had been a copy in Daphne's purse, but Draco was the last to see it. Astoria tried to keep Hermione from discovering it, but her sister hadn't hidden it well enough.

"Did you read it?" Daphne asked in a hushed whisper as Hermione dressed in the bathroom.

Astoria nodded and glanced toward the still closed door. "She's gonna be devastated. Draco never told her, and now...well, I don't know what's gonna happen now."

"Do you think Theo knew?"

The younger sister shrugged. "He never said anything to me," she replied, quickly closing her mouth when the bathroom door opened.

Daphne quickly tried to stash the magazine, but Hermione stopped her. "Don't bother. I've already seen it," she told them.

Astoria rose from her seat and adjusted the straps on Hermione's dress. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"We weren't together at the time," Hermione replied flatly. "We never really were together. Why should it bother me?"

"I wasn't with him either, and it made me mad," Astoria said. "Merlin, I cried for a day once when I saw Theo talk to another girl in our common room. I can't imagine knowing he had feelings for me while he was with someone else."

Hermione moved away and unzipped the garment bag that held Astoria's wedding dress. She carefully removed it from the hanger and beckoned Astoria forward to get dressed. "I really don't want to discuss his transgressions. Not today," she replied. "It's supposed to be a happy day."

"Will you confront him about it?" Daphne asked. "If it had been Adrian, I think I would have Avada'd him for pulling something like this."

"Yours is a different circumstance," was all Hermione said. The bride's preparations continued in silence. When Astoria was dressed and her makeup touched up, they left the suite for the ceremony. Waiting by the elevator was Draco.

Taking Hermione by the arm, he drew her away from the Greengrass sisters. "Can we talk?" he asked.

"Sure, Draco. What about?" she inquired. "The weather's quite lovely here. Wouldn't you agree?" There was a sweet, sugary niceness to her tone, one they both knew to be fake.

"You know that isn't what I wanted to talk about," he replied. "And judging by the sarcasm, I guess it's a safe bet that you saw that blasted article."

Hermione nodded. "Is it true?" she asked. "This Nadia what's-her-face, is she telling the truth?"

Draco's head fell as he replied, "Yes."

"How many times have you seen her?"

He swallowed past the lump in his throat before answering. "Just the one time. We were drinking and maybe I had too much. I told you my father has been arranging these dates, and she was one of them. I didn't mean for it to happen, but it did. Hermione, I'm sorry."

Hermione leaned back against the wall, leaving Draco to stand on the opposite side of the hallway. "What's done is done," she said in a flat tone of voice. "We should go downstairs. I'm sure Astoria will be wondering where we are." She pressed the down button and waited impatiently for a car to arrive.

"You look beautiful," he told her. "Green is a good color on you."

"Thanks," she replied tersely, hitting the button again. The doors finally opened and they stepped inside. "We should probably try to pretend to be happy when we go in there."

Draco adjusted her necklace so the clasp rested at the nape of her neck. "I don't think I can be happy knowing you hate me right now," he murmured.

Sighing, she pulled his hands away from her neck. "I don't hate you," she told him. "I wish you would have told me about her before I read about it in a magazine. It just hurts, Draco, that you didn't think you could tell me."

"Honestly, I was a little afraid to tell you," he admitted with a gentle laugh. "I've experienced your temper firsthand, and it's never boded well for me. I didn't want to ruin things between us, and now I have."

Taking his face in her hands, she brought his lips to hers and kissed him. "No, you haven't," she whispered. "We'll be alright."

"You're sure?" he asked, nervous that it was all an act to be put on for their friends.

"It meant nothing, right?" she asked.

He turned his head to kiss the palm of her hand. "Less than nothing," he promised. "I meant it, what I told you about us. I love you, Hermione."

Their lips met again as she whispered, "I love you too."

Reaching past him, she hit the button for the first floor. "Think Astoria is freaking out that we've gone missing?" he asked, refusing to relinquish his hold on her.

"Seems probable," she replied, listening the the bing-bing-bing as the elevator car passed each floor. "Knowing her, she's worried that I've killed you and am currently disposing of the body. She'll be relieved to see that there's no blood on my dress."

His lips brushed her ear, placing a kiss just below it. "You look beautiful in that dress. Have I told you that already?"

"Yes, but it's always nice to hear," she replied.

They reached the first floor and the doors opened. Waiting on the other side, arms crossed and a scowl on her lips, was Astoria. "You're letting him touch you?" she asked, aghast by the sight before her. "I know you said you wanted this to be a happy day, but is this really the way to do it? You shouldn't be miserable just because you think it'll ruin my day."

Chuckling, Draco led Hermione out of the elevator and kissed Astoria's cheek. "Quit worrying," he told her. "We're okay."

The younger witch pushed his face away and turned her gaze to Hermione. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Hermione smiled and squeezed her hand as she passed by. "We'll talk later," she promised. "Right now, let's get you married."


	17. Chapter 17

This has not been a great week. Between work issues and not feeling well, I can't wait for the week to end. So, feel free to cheer me up with some reviews!

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Chapter 17  
"So, I'm married now. Let's talk," Astoria said, dragging Hermione to her room.

"What's there to say?" Hermione wondered.

The new bride scoffed. "Are you and Draco still together?" she inquired. Hermione nodded. "And the fact that he slept with someone else means nothing? All that postulating about you being the only girl for him, and he loves you, and he was so brokenhearted when you thought it couldn't work between the two of you."

"He thought it was over," Hermione argued, kicking off the painful high heels she had spent the last hour wearing. "I thought it was over too. I'm not going to get mad about something he did when we weren't together."

"Don't be that girl, Hermione," Astoria said, her tone changing from anger to concern. "I understand that you love him, but you don't deserve a guy who's going to say you're his whole world and then he sleeps with someone else. You're better than that."

The response died on Hermione's lips. Astoria's point was valid. More than valid. She had never understood women who stayed with cheating partners, and swore that she would never do the exact thing she was currently doing. Was love reason enough to stay with Draco?

"You think we should break up," she replied.

Astoria shook her head. "I'm not going to tell you what you should do," she stated. "The two of you are my friends, and I want you both to be happy. If you can honestly say that you're happy with Draco and that what he did doesn't bother you at all, then I think you should stay together. I've honestly never seen Draco love anyone like he does you. Do you want to still be with him?"

"Yeah, I really do," Hermione replied.

Smiling, she slipped her arm through the older witch's and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Then ignore me," Astoria said.

Hermione's smile matched. "I can do that," she replied, leaving the honeymoon suite and the bride behind. Returning to her own room, she found Draco waiting as he undressed. "If only I had a camera," she said wistfully. Crossing the room, she stopped in front of him and finished undoing the buttons on his shirt.

Draco chuckled and kissed her forehead. "What did Astoria want?" he asked.

"Oh, ya know, to tell me that I should stay away from you," she replied breezily. "You being such bad news and all. Are you going to break my heart?"

"I don't want to," he said smoothing back a lock of her hair. "I know I've hurt you in the past, and even though you deny it, I know it upset you that I slept with someone else. It never should have happened. I should have told you sooner that you're it for me."

Parting his shirt, she ran her hands over his abdomen and placed a kiss on his lips. "You're it for me too," she murmured.

"I meant what I said about leaving my parents behind," he continued, despite the distraction of her kisses. "If it means I don't have to give you up, I'll pack my bags the second we're back in England."

"Okay," she replied, pushing his shirt off his shoulders.

He placed his hands on her cheeks and put an end to her show of affection. "I'm serious, Hermione," he told her. "I'm not going to allow them to come between us again. It's you and me, just you and me."

"Okay," she said again, smiling when he released his hold on her face. "Can I kiss you now?" He happily obliged her request, and began to help her out of her dress. The green silk pooled around her feet, and he he led her back to the bed without breaking their connection.

An hour later, they laid together in bed, wrapped in each other's arms and a tangle of bedsheets. Draco sighed contentedly and tightened his hold on her. "I'm hungry," he said, his eyes relaxing closed.

"Do you tell that to all the girls after you shag them?" Hermione asked, laughing as she laid her head against his chest.

"Only the ones I really love," he replied, kissing the top of her head.

Hermione rolled onto her stomach and looked up at him. "And what do you say to the ones you don't like?" she inquired.

He smirked. "Want me to show you?" he asked. When she nodded, he moved his arm from where it lay around her. "It usually goes something like this-" Then he turned over and let out a loud, fake snore.

"That's awful," Hermione gasped, laughing as he turned back to face her.

"It's effective though," he replied confidently. "It got rid of..."

Hermione turned over and sat up, a frown on her face. "Nadia?" she guessed.

He copied her posture and nodded. "Yeah, Nadia," he confirmed. "What's on your mind?"

"She sold you out to a magazine," she replied. "What's to stop her from doing something else? Maybe something bigger to get your attention, or gain a few more minutes in the spotlight. What if...what if your father put her up to it?"

Draco swung his legs over the side of the bed and pulled on his pants. "I wouldn't put it past him," he muttered. "He wanted to punish me for not marrying Astoria. What better way than to have her run her mouth off to any publication that'll listen."

Pulling the sheet from the bed, Hermione wrapped it around herself and moved to his side. "Your father is a bit relentless, isn't he," she commented. "So, what do we do if he doesn't stop his attempts to marry you off?"

He pulled her close, winding his arms around her. "I have a crazy idea," he said. "Well, I don't know, maybe it isn't crazy. I just...I keep thinking that I don't want to go back to England with you just being my girlfriend."

"What does that mean?" she wondered defensively.

Sensing her reticence, he smiled and let his lips hover just above her mouth. "It means I want to marry you," he replied. "It means that I want to return to England with you as my wife."


	18. Chapter 18

No sleep again last night. My dad has a very sweet and very annoying habit of texting me with a morning weather report. At 6 AM. I might have to invest in a real alarm clock so I can leave my phone in another room at night.

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Chapter 18  
The words "I do" played on a loop in her mind as they rode back to their hotel in a hot, stuffy taxicab. "Where are we going to live?" she wondered, just blocks before their destination.

Draco held her hand and admired the platinum wedding band that now encompassed her finger. "We could stay here," he offered. "Astoria and Theo aren't going back to England."

"But the shop," she replied. "And Harry and Ron and Ginny and my parents. If we stay here, does that mean I never see them again?"

The cab pulled up in front of the hotel and Draco paid the driver. Getting out, he rounded the car and opened Hermione's door. "We don't have to make these decisions right now," he told her, leading her inside. "I know that getting the bookshop up and running is a priority. What if we live in the flat above the shop until we find a house of our own?"

"Ginny lives there too," she pointed out.

"So, she lives with us for now," he replied as they stepped into the elevator. "I'm fine with that."

Hermione rolled her eyes and pressed the button for the 15th floor. "Sure, you say that now, but then she leaves clothes around or her undergarments hanging from the shower curtain rod," she said. "I'm the one who has to deal with that."

They said nothing else until they were in the confines of their suite. Hermione began to undress and ready herself for bed. "Are you regretting this?" he asked, leaning against the bedroom's door frame. "I mean, I know we hadn't discussed getting married before, and spontaneity isn't exactly your forte. But I thought you wanted this too."

Kicking aside her shoes, she smiled and crossed the room to stand before him. "I do want this," she told him. "I want you, and I'm thrilled that we can be together now. But it's like you said - I'm a planner. It'll just take some time to get used to not having every single detail planned out."

"Hmm, and now you have to include me in those plans," he joked.

"Yeah, that wasn't part of my plan," she replied with a laugh before moving back to the bed. He tackled her to the mattress and peppered her face with kisses as his hands slid beneath her shirt. She let forth a shriek of laughter, and Draco rolled them over so he was underneath her. "Love me?" she asked.

Draco pressed his lips to hers and whispered, "Always."

"Do you love it here?"

"Do you mean in this room with you, or New York in general?" he wondered.

Giggling, she leaned down and kissed him. "I already know the answer to the first one," was her cheeky reply.

Sighing, he placed his hands behind his head. "It's different," he said. "It's brighter and more crowded than home. The food is better, though. You've got to give them that. I've never lived like a muggle before, and we definitely have to do that here. No silly wand waving and incantations on the streets of New York, right?"

"No, we can't have that," she agreed. "Do you want to stay here?"

He pushed himself up onto his elbows and gazed wide-eyed at her. "What about your shop and your friends?" he wondered.

Hermione shrugged. "We do have magical powers," she reminded him. "It wouldn't be that hard to Apparate home whenever I felt like it. How are you going to tell your parents about us?"

"Personally, I like the idea of leaking it to the Prophet," he replied. "But I'd feel bad doing that to my mother. Even though she didn't fight him on the betrothal, I know she wanted to see me happy. I think we should tell her in person. Let everyone else read about it in the paper."

"Okay," she agreed.

"Will you be happy here?" he asked. "I know you and Astoria get on well, but I'd hate to think I'm uprooting your entire life by staying here."

She waited for him to sit up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm really happy being with you. I don't care where we are," she told him confidently. "Although, I do think Harry and the Weasleys should find out from me instead of the paper."

"Reckon they'll take it well?" he asked as his lips placed a trail of kisses from her ear to her chin. "Potter doesn't seem so bad. He didn't take my head off when he found out about us."

Hermione smiled and waited for him to reach her lips. "Sure, he's fine with you now," she replied. "Just wait until he finds out we eloped."

"Because then he'll love me?" he guessed, skipping her lips and continuing across the right side of her face.

She shook her head to line their lips up for a kiss. "Well, if Harry doesn't hex you, I'm sure you can count on Ron," she teased.

His arms tightened around her waist, and she shrieked when he maneuvered them so that he was back on top. "Looking to off me already?" he asked, pretended to be insulted. "You know you're not in the will yet."

And suddenly, she seemed to deflate. "Don't talk like that," she murmured, her voice small. "I just...we've lost too many people to joke like that. I don't want to think about losing you too."

His smile softened as he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Sweetheart, I'm not going anywhere," he assured her. "I don't care what my parents or your parents or Potter or the Weasleys think. I'm not leaving you. Ever. You're stuck with me for eternity, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Keep calling me that," she requested. "I like the way it sounds when you say it."

Ron retrieved _The Daily Prophet_ from his parents' front hedges and shut the door behind him. With a mug of coffee in hand, he took a seat on the floor in front of the hearth and began to unroll the paper. He had just placed the mug at his lips when the headline caught his eye.

_Draco Malfoy Weds Hermione Granger_


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19  
"Who leaked it?" Hermione wondered as she handed the newspaper back to Adrian.

"Doesn't say," he replied. "Anonymous source."

Draco's face reddened with anger. "I want to know how it got leaked," he stated. "We got married the muggle way with the officiant's wife serving as a witness. How is it possible that a wizarding publication found out?"

Adrian shook his head, causing loose, bronze strands of hair to dislodge from his perfect coif. "I don't know, mate," he replied. "How did they find out about Daphne and me? Together we're not as high profile as just one of you, and your entire relationship, fake or otherwise, has been well documented. You can't be naive enough to believe they wouldn't have found out."

"You knew about that?" Hermione interjected.

Adrian smirked. "Nothing stays a secret between the Greengrass sisters."

"You don't think one of them-" Hermione started, but couldn't finish the thought. It was too horrible to even consider that they had leaked the story.

Seeming to understand where her mind had gone, Adrian shook his head. "I told Daphne about it after seeing the paper, and she told Astoria," he explained. "And from the sound of it, she was quite upset that she didn't find out from the two of you."

Draco had the courtesy to look chagrined. "We weren't exactly planning to get married," he replied. "It was a sort of spur of the moment kind of thing. I figured my father would continue trying to split us up."

"And he still can," the older wizard pointed out. "Unless you do a bonding, that is. Nothing can undo the bonding, not even death. If the two of you do this and something happens to the other one, you won't be able to bind yourself to anyone else."

The couple exchanged a look. "I'm fine with that," Hermione replied.

"Me too," Draco readily agreed. "Astoria said you were doing hers. Would you do it for us too?"

Pulling his wand from the pocket inside his blazer, Adrian grinned. "Yeah, I guess," he replied. "Can we consider this your wedding present?"

"No," Draco said. He took Hermione's hand and pulled her up from her chair. Hands linked, his other arm wound around her back. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, needing confirmation.

She placed her hand over his heart and smiled warmly. "Absolutely, I do," she replied. Their smiles grew as Draco leaned down to kiss her.

"Enough with the sap," Adrian chided, clapping his friend on the back. He held his wand over the couple's joined hands. "Ready?" he asked. Both parties nodded their heads and Adrian closed his eyes as he murmured a spell. "Do you pledge to bind yourself to this woman, Draco Malfoy, for all eternity?"

"I do," he replied.

Once more he said the spell and a blue wisp emanated from his wand. "Do you pledge to bind yourself to this man, Hermione Malfoy, for all eternity?"

"I do," she said, her voice catching on the words as tears pooled in her eyes. A pink wisp joined with the blue and wrapped themselves around the couple's arms until they joined into one purple strand of magic.

Pocketing his wand, Adrian declared the bonding a success and poured himself a snifter of brandy. "So, now what?" he inquired.

"Now we face the parents," Hermione replied.

"Is it wrong that I'm terrified of seeing my parents?" Hermione wondered as they approached her childhood home.

Draco squeezed her hand. "At least they know and like you," he replied. "I'll be lucky if I make it out of here alive."

"Hope the body bag is big enough for two," she muttered, ringing the bell. They stood nervously on the porch, anticipating the moment the door would open. With the approach of footsteps on the other side of the door, Hermione's heart began to race. She could hear nothing but the blood pounding in her ears when the door opened and her father smiled. His mouth moved, but the words were silent. Draco squeezed her hand and pulled her forward into the house. The door closed behind them, and her father led the couple to the family room.

"We didn't expect you to bring a date," her father joked.

It was the first thing she heard clearly. "Hi, Daddy," she finally said, staring at him with tears in her eyes.

His smile fell and was replaced by a look of concern. "What's the matter, darling?" he asked, calling for his wife to join them.

With her mother now in the room, she had no choice but to tell them. "We got married," she said, failing to hold back tears. "We didn't plan it. It just sort of happened."

Her mother sat down beside her and rubbed her back comfortingly. "Do you want to be married?" she asked.

Hermione looked first at her husband, then her parents. "Yeah, I really do," she replied. "I love Draco."

"Then why are you so upset?" her mother wondered.

She sniffled and attempted to take a deep breath. "Because of after the war and the way the two of you felt about what I did," she explained. "It took so long to regain your trust, and now-"

"And now nothing," her father interrupted. "You're an adult, Hermione. Sure, it would have been nice to see my daughter get married. But I won't be angry that you're happy with this boy."

Her mother smiled. "Your father and I eloped," she confided. "We wanted it to just be about us. So, a week before the big, planned wedding, we found a justice of the peace and got married."

For the first time since making introductions, Draco spoke. "So...um, so you're not mad?" he asked.

"Well," Mr. Granger said with a smile, "no father is entirely thrilled with the man his daughter marries. And if I recall correctly, she never had very nice things to say about you. Do you treat her well, Draco? Do I have any reason not to like you now that you and Hermione are together?"

Draco returned his father-in-law's smile and gave his wife's hand a squeeze. "Sir, I love her more than anything else in this world. I never want to hurt her again."


	20. Chapter 20

I started working on the last chapter today, which will be posted when I'm finished with it.

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Chapter 20  
If Draco had been worried about their visit to the Grangers, he was nearly apoplectic about seeing his own parents. There was nothing warm and inviting about them or their house. He would have been happier to turn around and go home without ever speaking to them. "They already know. Why do we have to tell them?" he asked, already seated in the parlor.

"Don't you want to know if they had anything to do with the story being leaked?" Hermione asked, glancing toward the door to make sure they were still alone.

"How could they?" he wondered.

Narcissa entered with Lucius behind her. "We'll find out soon enough," she whispered.

The older couple took a seat across from them and silently prepared their tea. Water was poured, milk and sugar passed, and no one spoke. The tension was thick and uncomfortable, and Draco was adamant on putting an end to it. "I hope our marriage hasn't put a wrench in your plans, Father," he said passive-aggressively. "I know how hard you were working to find me a wife."

"There's still time to undo this," Lucius replied breezily.

Narcissa cleared her throat. "What made the two of you decide to get married?" she asked, genuinely interested in the couple's response.

The son eyed the father as he replied, "Love."

Lucius sat back and smirked. "This is defiance," he clarified. "Rebellion and love are not synonymous, Draco."

"I never said they were," Draco replied. "But I love Hermione, and I told you I would only marry someone that I loved."

"Well, I think it's wonderful that Draco's happy," Narcissa stated as she sipped her tea. "And Hermione, if I recall correctly, was the smartest witch Hogwarts had seen in a long time. I expect I'll have beautiful, intelligent grandchildren thanks to the two of you."

Hermione blushed a deep shade of crimson. "We've moved pretty quickly thus far. I think we'll take our time when it comes to having kids," she replied. "But thank you for saying that."

"Mum, I _am_ sorry that you had to find out about it from _The Prophet_. Honestly, that's not how we wanted you to hear about us," Draco said, deciding he could no longer focus on his father. "And I was hoping...you said that you were saving your mother's engagement ring for me. I'd like to be able to give it to my wife."

With tears in her eyes, Narcissa nodded and left the parlor. Once more the tense silence pervaded the parlor. Lucius wanted nothing more to do with his son and his new bride, and excused himself just before his wife returned.

"Maybe you should have handled them on your own," Hermione said, brows furrowed with worry.

He drew her hand up to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. "Are you kidding me?" he asked. "I might have pulled my wand on my father by now if you hadn't been here. You've kept me relatively calm so far."

"This is calm?" she asked, a wry smile on her lips. "I'd hate to see you angry."

Draco chuckled just as his mother returned with a small black box in hand. With a crook of her finger, she beckoned him to her. "Your father isn't happy about this, but I am," she told him. "You and Hermione have my full support."

"Thank you, Mum," he replied, taking the ring from her hand.

He turned away to present it to his wife, but his mother's hand stayed him. "He'll do whatever he can to split the two of you up," she warned. "That girl, the one who spoke to the papers about you, your father was hoping she would come between you and Hermione. His plan was for her to tell them she was pregnant. I slipped a contraceptive potion into her tea when I overheard his plan. You won't have to worry about her anymore."

"Does he know you did that?" Draco wondered, awed by his mother's audacity to defy his father.

Narcissa smirked in true Malfoy fashion. "Doesn't have a clue," she replied.

"Good," he said. "You know we're not staying, right? We've decided to live in New York."

"So, then the rumors are true," he replied sadly.

With a nod, Draco returned to the sofa and his wife's side. He saw the hurt in his mother's blue eyes and couldn't bear to look any longer. She had been his one familial ally through it all, and now he was abandoning her. "We'll visit though," he promised.

"I know you will," Narcissa replied sadly. "Now, put that ring on your wife's finger. We need to make sure it fits."

Draco turned to Hermione and asked for her hand. After removing the ring from the box, he slipped it onto her finger until it met with her wedding band. "We can stay a bit longer," she whispered under the guise of kissing him.

"It's been a long day," he replied tiredly. The morning had included breakfast with the Weasleys and Harry Potter. Molly had cried, Arthur welcomed him to the family, Harry was smug, and Ron and Ginny seemed hesitant to congratulate them. George had questioned his intentions, much as Hermione's father had. She had ensured Draco that he was only joking and to ignore him, but it didn't stop George from peppering him with questions. It was only when Hermione pulled her wand on him that he finally stopped. Once they had left, he commented that he was sure he'd held his breath all through the meal.

"Okay," she said, understanding the toll a morning with the Weasley family could take on a person. "We'll go whenever you're ready."

Nodding, he gave her hand a squeeze and stared at the new addition to her finger. "It really is a beautiful ring, Mum," he said. "Thank you for letting Hermione wear it."

Narcissa smiled. "She's family now," she replied. "One day, the two of you can pass it down to your child."

Pulling her hand out of Draco's, Hermione rose from the sofa and hugged her mother-in-law. "Thank you," she murmured. "For everything."

A nervous smile touched the older woman's lips. "There's something you need to know," she started. "The two of you were seen by a witch after you eloped. Pansy Parkinson's aunt, in fact. She was always a bit of a gossip. Anyhow, she told me and I leaked the story. I thought if everyone knew you were married, your father wouldn't be able to line up any more perspective wives for you. Draco, I'm sorry."

Relief flooded through him as he rose and embraced his mother. "You did me the greatest favor I could have asked for," he told her.


	21. Epilogue

And we've reached the end! Thanks for reading!

* * *

Epilogue  
"Do you ever think about returning to England?" Astoria wondered as she and Hermione enjoyed a day at the park with Astoria's nephew, Braydon.

Hermione glanced down at the gentle swell of her abdomen. "Sometimes," she replied. "I want our kids to know our families. And it might be nice to be around my mother when the baby comes. I know Draco's worried about not knowing what to do or how to care for him."

"Do his parents know about the baby?"

Hermione nodded uneasily. Narcissa was thrilled to be a grandmother, but Lucius refused to acknowledge "that thing" as his own flesh and blood. Draco was all too quick to inform him that he needn't be involved, and that his involvement was unwanted. His child would only be surrounded by people who loved and cared for him. And that did not include Lucius Malfoy.

"Narcissa has come out here every other weekend since we broke the news. She's convinced that our flat isn't big enough and the paint we chose isn't blue enough and the clothing we have won't keep him warm enough," she relayed.

"Anything else she's not happy about?" Astoria asked with a laugh.

"Yeah, the name we chose," Hermione replied. "We decided we wanted something a bit more mainstream. Draco's concerned about schoolyard bullies teasing him if we named him something celestial."

Astoria turned her attention back to the three year old climbing the jungle gym. "If anyone knows bullies, it's Draco," she muttered. "So, what's his name going to be?"

Smiling, Hermione shook her head. "We're not telling you," she replied, having been asked by the younger witch more than once. "Even if you try to guess, I'll neither confirm nor deny. Don't forget, I saw the way you tortured your own sister when you didn't like the names she picked for Braydon."

The younger woman held up her hands in a sign of surrender. "Fine, don't tell me what my godson's name will be. I'll just find out with everyone else," she mumbled, hoping guilt would work on her friend.

"You really shouldn't believe Draco when he makes you promises," Hermione cautioned.

Astoria beckoned her nephew over to eat and watched as he ran towards her. "You promised me I could be the godmother," she recalled. "Draco asked why your kid needed godparents in the first place."

The older witch looked contemplative as Astoria returned her attention to her. "Then you probably shouldn't believe the promises I make either," she replied. "I've been around Slytherins for far too long. You've all started to rub off on me, and not in a good way."

A sarcastic laugh was the only reply she received. The doting aunt held her only nephew as he ate. The little boy talked to the pair, telling them about the games he had played and stories he would relay to his parents when they got home. Halfway through lunch, Draco joined them and took Braydon back to the playground.

"So, I'm really not the godmother?" she asked once they were alone again.

"Of course you are," Draco called to her. "Stop believing everything Hermione tells you just because she's supposed to be honest."

"Trouble in paradise?" Astoria inquired.

Hermione smirked. It was a devilish grin, but there was a hint of love behind it. "A spell actually," she replied. "One day he was commenting that I seemed so calm given all the hormones. Then the next day he complained that my mood swings were driving him crazy. So I put a little transferral spell on him."

"You really should have been in Slytherin," Astoria remarked in awe. "Can I use that when Theo and I have kids?"

"I've already warned your husband to be wary of any spells you cast," Draco informed his friend. He took a seat beside his wife on the bench and placed his hand on the swell of her stomach. "Feeling okay?"

Hermione nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. In just three months she would be a mother, and despite her calm exterior, it scared her more than anything. Despite the small support group she had in the States, found in the Greengrass sisters and their husbands, they weren't the same as the family she had left behind. A family that had been on her mind more and more as the months of her pregnancy passed.

"You look tired," Draco observed. "Maybe we should go home."

Home.

The pang of longing started in Hermione's chest at the sound of that one word.

Home.

Nodding, she rose from the bench and said goodbye to her friend. Together, she and Draco left the park, found an unoccupied alley, and Apparated back to their flat. Without a word, she retired to the bedroom and shut the door behind her. Sinking down onto the bed, she wondered if home was something she would ever see again.

The door opened and Draco let himself in. Hermione stared off unseeingly, and didn't notice when he took a seat beside her. "Talk to me," he requested.

"It's nothing," she replied dismissively. "Just tired. The baby kicked a lot last night."

Shaking his head, he said, "I don't think that's it."

She placed her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. "Do you ever think about home?" she wondered.

"_This_ is our home, love," he murmured, kissing the top of her head.

Lifting her head, she pulled away from him and stood. "No, I mean England," she clarified. "Where our families are. Do you ever think about it?"

"No, I don't," he stated matter-of-factly. "I don't because, aside from my mother, I have no family. You're my family, you and the baby. What I left behind there doesn't matter to me."

"It matters to me," she said sadly. "I miss my parents and the Weasleys and Harry. I miss visiting Diagon Alley. I don't want our son to grow up not knowing them. It's been three years, Draco, and we've gone back twice."

Rising from the bed, he pulled her into his arms and held her as close as he could. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I should have realized you couldn't turn your back on people the way I can. We'll make more of an effort to visit, I promise."

Lifting her head, Draco saw the tears that pooled in her eyes. "I want to go back, Draco," she replied, her voice breaking.

"You're that unhappy here?" he asked.

"It's not that I'm unhappy," she replied uneasily. "I just want to be with my family again."

His thumb swept across her cheek, catching the stray tear that fell. "Okay," he said. "Let's go home."

The End


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